A strong storm complex produced a significant and widespread tornado outbreak in and around the Ohio Valley and the Midwest.
A moderate risk was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for Tuesday, February 28.
This included a 15% hatched risk area for tornadoes.
Several damaging tornadoes touched down, including a violent EF4 that leveled and swept away homes at the north edge of Perryville, Missouri and killed one person.
An EF3 struck the towns of Naplate and Ottawa, Illinois and killed two people, while a fourth person was killed as a result of a long-track EF3 that passed near Crossville, Illinois and into Indiana.
An EF3 tornado also caused severe damage in and around the town of Washburn, Illinois.
This was the most intense February tornado outbreak to affect Illinois since 1950, with at least three tornadoes of EF3 or greater intensity, including the Ottawa event, which was the northernmost February EF3 on record in the state of Illinois.
The tornado that impacted the Perryville area tracked at least 50 miles and was also the first violent tornado of 2017.
Overall, this outbreak produced 72 tornadoes and killed four people.
A strong storm complex produced a significant and widespread tornado outbreak in and around the Ohio Valley and the Midwest. A moderate risk was issued by the Storm Prediction Center for Tuesday, February 28. This included a 15% hatched risk area for tornadoes. Several damaging tornadoes touched down, including a violent EF4 that leveled and swept away homes at the north edge of Perryville, Missouri and killed one person. An EF3 struck the towns of Naplate and Ottawa, Illinois and killed two people, while a fourth person was killed as a result of a long-track EF3 that passed near Crossville, Illinois and into Indiana. An EF3 tornado also caused severe damage in and around the town of Washburn, Illinois. This was the most intense February tornado outbreak to affect Illinois since 1950, with at least three tornadoes of EF3 or greater intensity, including the Ottawa event, which was the northernmost February EF3 on record in the state of Illinois. The tornado that impacted the Perryville area tracked at least 50 miles and was also the first violent tornado of 2017. Overall, this outbreak produced 72 tornadoes and killed four people.
Tornadoes of 2017