FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Three days before the 2023 tornado hit the Midwest, the Storm Prediction Center and National Weather Service offices in Lincoln and Indianapolis were communicating with each other.
More meteorologists were scheduled, duties assigned, and media and emergency managers warned of the threat.
“Well, we had about, almost three days of heads up when SPC was starting to circle areas that were going to be potentially hazardous weather, high impact potentially,” Ed Shimon, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Lincoln, Ill. said.
Eventually, parts of central Illinois were placed in the high-risk category, the first time in 10 years for the designation. The tornado watch was issued at 7:01 p.m. CT.
Meteorologist Mike Albano was manning the radar that night at NWS Lincoln. The tornado warning was issued at 8:17 p.m. CT for Clay County Ill., and then began moving northeast. The fast spinning tornado was upgraded to “considerable” in warnings being issued. At about 9 p.m. CT, radar data confirmed a tornado.
“We had considered upgrading the considerable tornado warning to a tornado emergency,” NWS Ill. Staff Meteorologist Michael Albano said. “It was lifting into Crawford County and was headed right for the county seat there in Robinson.”
Residents had 14 minutes lead time, as the tornado grew into a long-track, high-end EF-3. Then, radar began picking up damage.
“And right down here this, right where the deeper red shades go, that there, that is the debris ball,” Albano said. “This is the strongest storm I’ve seen on radar.”
As the tornado approached the border, the NWS office in Indianapolis took over.
“We actually called the emergency manager of Sullivan County that day, that evening I should say, before the storm got there to make him aware of the seriousness of the situation,” NWS Ind. Meteorologist In Charge Ted Funk said.
Sullivan residents had 20-22 minutes lead time to take shelter.
Sam Lashley is the warning coordination meteorologist for NWS Indianapolis.
“This is a very strong signature,” Lashley said. “This is the type of signature you see out in the plains.”
The debris ball grew bigger.
“Now it’s going through Sullivan,” Lashley said while reviewing the data.
Both Lincoln and Indianapolis provided warnings well ahead of the tornado hitting, but not everyone heard those warnings.
“Now, all we could think of, is I hope these folks take shelter,” Albano said.
“And we’re changed almost on the inside, after something like happens,” Funk said. “Especially after you go see the damage the next day, it really hits home.”
“I’ve being doing this for 30 years and you get a pit in your stomach before the event ever happens because you know what’s going to happen.” Lashley explained.
But, the knowledge and experience of those acting with urgency also saved lives that night.
“Several people had their mobile homes destroyed completely,” said Shimon. “And they said we left about two minutes before this mobile home got sheared in half.”
