The National Weather Service confirmed early Wednesday that three tornadoes touched down during storms in the Chicago area on Monday, which was both the rainiest Memorial Day and May 27 in nearly 150 years of records.
With 1.92 inches of precipitation measured at O’Hare International Airport, meteorologists said the rain broke a record for the wettest May 27 since 1870 when record-keeping began, as well as the wettest Memorial Day, regardless of the date in May, since 1971 when Memorial Day became a federal holiday. The previous record for May 27 of 1.8 inches of rain was set in 1939.
The weather service spent nearly a day working with academic partners, weather spotters and officials to confirm that three weak tornadoes touched down Monday, in Lee and Kendall counties in northern Illinois and Lake County in northwest Indiana.
The touchdown in Dyer, Ind., caused the most damage of the three EF-0 tornadoes, the weakest on the scale of tornado intensity, with wind speeds between 65 and 85 mph. In Dyer, the tornado almost reached EF-1 level, as it was clocked at 85 mph.
That tornado also lasted the longest, three minutes, and caused the most damage, as it touched down in a subdivision near Willow and Scotty lanes in Dyer, according to the weather service. Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, it carved a path 1.1 miles long and as much as 100 yards wide, the report said. It caused damage to the exteriors of several homes, removing shingles, siding, trim and a chimney on one home.
“Multiple trees were snapped and many lost limbs. The tornado also flipped a backyard shed and damaged fencing,” according to the weather service.
The other two tornadoes, one in Paw Paw and the other in Plattville, each had an estimated peak wind speed of 65 mph, the minimum to be considered a tornado.
The tornado in Plattville, in southern Kendall County, lasted from 1:47 p.m. to 1:48 p.m., traveling about a mile through a field near Walker and Ashley roads, the weather service said. It was about 30 yards wide before it dissipated.
At 4:27 p.m. in Paw Paw, just east of Interstate 39 in Lee County, a brief tornado occurred, according to reports from a trained weather spotter. The tornado traveled for less than a mile, was about 30 yards wide and did not cause any damage.
No one was injured in any of the tornadoes.
Though there is a chance of scattered showers later Wednesday and into midday Thursday, Friday may finally bring some respite for the rain-soaked region. The weather service said it expects drier weather Friday through Sunday, with only a chance of scattered showers Saturday.
Check back for updates and read the Tribune’s weather page for updated forecasts.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
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