SPC Stats

Path length: 16.26 miles

Width:  1320 yards

Fatalities:  0

Injuries:  7

Rating:  EF3

County:  Grundy, Will

During the evening of June 22, 2015, twelve tornadoes rolled through parts of Northern Illinois.  10 of the 12 were produced by one supercell.  We look at the strongest tornado to hit.  It was rated EF3 with maximum winds of 160mph.  The heaviest damage was in the Coal City and Braidwood areas.  Per the NWS Chicago, this was the strongest tornado to hit in Grundy County since an F3 on July 17, 1972.  This twister also crossed the path of the Coal City and Diamond area tornado of November 17, 2013. 

Image via NWS Chicago

The Coal City-Braidwood tornado developed near Higgins Road and Dupont Road in Grundy County about 1 mile south of Diamond.  It moved to the ESE snapping trees and power poles along N. Gorman Road.  As the tornado entered the village of Coal City, dozens of homes were heavily damaged.  Three were completely destroyed.  Per the NWS Summary, “Two of these homes were well built and had at least part of their structure bolted down to the foundation with bolts secured by nuts.” 

Two high tension metal trusses were brought down and one of them was “crumpled” along Hunters Run.  Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted and numerous utility poles were downed. 

As the tornado moved into Will County, it weakened.  Tree damage was produced across part of the property of the Braidwood Nuclear Generating Station.  Wooden power poles were snapped along Route 53 and also along Zilm Road.  A garage was heavily damaged along Ohlues Road.  The tornado dissipated 2 miles SSE of Ritchie.

Tornado Path

SPC/NCDC coordinates: 

Grundy County:  Start: 41.3082 / -88.3823   End:  41.2641 / -88.2462

Will County:  Start:  41.2641 / -88.2462     End:  41.2255 / -88.0897     

Note:  Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.

Radar

Radar Loop from 6 PM CDT June 22nd to 1AM CDT June 23rd via NWS Chicago

Reflectivity and Velocity at 944pm CT. Archived Nexrad data via GR2Analyst.
Reflectivity and Velocity at 948pm CT. Archived Nexrad data via GR2Analyst.

Damage Photos via NWS Chicago Survey

Broken pole (EF1 damage) off Gorman Road
Compromised garage, 2nd floor missing (EF2 damage) - Near Oak Street
Baseball dugout walls collapsed near Oak Street (EF1 damage)
EF2 damage off near intersection of Coaler Drive and W. Daisy Pl.
Partial roof & second floor removal. An attached garage was totally destroyed with car pushed over 100 feet away. (EF2 damage)
EF2 damage in Coal City
Rolled RV. Home was built in moduled sections. High EF2 damage.
EF3 damage in Coal City
Well built 2-floor structure destroyed. High end EF3 damage.
"Very high end EF3 damage" - Entire structure destroyed and pushed off foundation/bottom level.
Toppled metal electrical truss towers (High end EF3 damage)
"Very high end EF3 damage" - Well built structure completely destroyed, nearly all wiped cleanly off of first floor
EF3 damage - Second level of structure destroyed and blown into nearby yard.

More Photos

Coal City Storm Damage

Via Mattheux Photo on Flickr

Aerial photo of damage via City of Coal City Tornado Summary Report

Videos

Newspaper Clippings

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Newspaper clips are embedded via newspapers.com. Please see their terms and conditions.

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