This Week In History: Tornadoes
We typically think of severe weather season as being in the spring and summer, but in the past several years, there has been some very active weather in the Fall as well, especially this week in history, including several tornadoes.

Nappanee Tornado
It was two years ago this week that parts of Elkhart, Marshall, and Kosciusko Counties were hit by a powerful tornado. The tornado produced damage that was consistent with high-end EF3 (Enhanced Fujita) damage, or roughly 165mph winds, near Nappanee. Luckily, there were no deaths but there was a lot of damage.

October 24, 2001 Tornado Outbreak
It was multiple tornadoes that hit the area eight years ago this week. Especially hard hit was the Crumstown community of St. Joseph County (IN), where a F3 storm hit with winds estimated at 155mph. This same storm produced a lot of damage in Niles Township, MI as well.

Other October Tornadoes
On that same date in 1967, there were two F2 tornadoes in Elkhart and Kosciusko Counties. On October 16, 1988, a F2 tornado hit southern Elkhart County.

The Reason Fall is a Severe Weather Season
Severe weather occurs in Fall for the very same reason it happens in Spring and early Summer: dueling airmasses. When very cold air from the north encounters warmer and more humid air to the south, the battleground can be very volitale in the form of severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes.

Your Stories?
It seems like everyone has a story about the Nappanee storms or the tornadoes that hit on October 24, 2001. What's your story? Post a comment and share it with everyone!

Rick Mecklenburg