Tornado outbreak of June 23, 2002
| Type | Tornado Outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | June 23, 2002 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 8 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 94 minutes |
| Fatalities | None |
| Damage | ~$1 million (2002 USD) |
| Areas affected | The Dakotas |
Part of tornado outbreaks of 2002 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
A small but intense tornado outbreak occurred predominantly over McPherson and Brown County, South Dakota on June 23, 2002. A supercell thunderstorm produced six tornadoes in 72 minutes within the two counties. Two of the tornadoes were rated F3 and F4 respectively, and caused considerable damage to several homes and farms. Two other tornadoes occurred in North Dakota during the same time. The outbreak in Brown County was documented by a group of storm chasers and was featured on an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.
Meteorological synopsis
[edit]The area hit by the outbreak was in a drought; in the past three months, the area had only received four inches of rain. On June 23, a triple point was set up across eastern South Dakota, setting the stage for a powerful supercell to form.[1]
Confirmed tornadoes
[edit]| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | NE of Leola | McPherson | SD | 00:20–00:22 | 0.2 mi (0.32 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | A brief tornado caused no damage.[2] | |
| F1 | NE of Leola to NW of Barnard | McPherson, Brown | SD | 00:32–00:43 | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 500 yd (460 m) | A barn was destroyed, a farmhouse was damaged, and many trees were downed in McPherson County. No damage was recorded in Brown County.[3] | |
| F0 | NW of Barnard | Brown | SD | 00:43–00:45 | 0.3 mi (0.48 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | This tornado touched down as the previous tornado dissipated. No damage was reported.[4] | |
| F3 | W of Barnard to SE of Barnard | Brown | SD | 00:53–01:23 | 10 mi (16 km) | 900 yd (820 m) | Two farmhouses sustained extensive damage, one of which lost its garage and most of its roof. Several farm buildings and equipment were heavily damaged, and a pickup truck was tossed 100 yards (91 m) into a grove of trees, totaling it. High-tension power lines and a support tower were downed, and numerous trees were downed, some of which were snapped off just above the base and/or debarked.[5] | |
| F0 | N of Bismarck | Burleigh | ND | 00:55 | 2 mi (3.2 km) | 40 yd (37 m) | A brief tornado over open country caused no damage.[6] | |
| F4 | SE of Barnard to NE of Barnard | Brown | SD | 01:24–01:55 | 9 mi (14 km) | 900 yd (820 m) | This violent tornado demolished two unoccupied homes and several outbuildings, damaged a farmhouse and several more outbuildings, and heavily damaged or destroyed farm equipment. Many trees were downed.[7] | |
| F0 | E of Barnard | Brown | SD | 01:30–01:32 | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | This brief satellite tornado of the F4 tornado caused no damage.[8] | |
| F1 | SW of Velva | Ward, McHenry | ND | 01:34–01:54 | 2 mi (3.2 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | Several homes had shingles blown off, and several trees were uprooted.[9] |
See also
[edit]- Weather of 2002
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of F4 and EF4 tornadoes
- 2003 South Dakota tornado outbreak – Tornado outbreak that affected similar areas one year later
Notes
[edit]- ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
References
[edit]- ^ "June 2002 Archives -". Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ South Dakota Event Report: F0 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ South Dakota Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.South Dakota Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ South Dakota Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ South Dakota Event Report: F3 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ North Dakota Event Report: F0 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ South Dakota Event Report: F4 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ South Dakota Event Report: F0 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ North Dakota Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Climatic Data Center (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2002. Retrieved April 5, 2021.