The deadly tornadoes that ripped through Harrisburg, Ill., swept in too fast and too early in the morning for residents there to take proper cover. Dean Reynolds reports on the aftermath from Harrisburg.
~ I posted I felt it was minimally an EF4. NWS gives deadly Harrisburg tornado EF4 rating…
Harrisburg, Ill. — 6 Dead, Dozens injured…
In this image made with a cell phone, a residential area is heavily damaged in Harrisburg, Ill., after a severe storm swept through the area early Wednesday morning, Feb. 29, 2012. A hospital administrator in Harrisburg says at least three people were killed in the storm that swept through the region. (AP Photo/The Southern, Paul Newton)
The National Weather Service has given the deadly tornado that leveled parts of the southern Illinois community of Harrisburg an EF4 rating.
EF4 is the second-highest rating given to twisters. The rating is assigned to storms based on damage they cause.
Meterologist Rick Shanklin said Wednesday that the storm was 200 yards wide with top winds up to 170 miles per hour. Six people in Harrisburg were killed.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that there have been two EF4-rated tornadoes in Illinois history during February since 1950. One in 1956 left six people dead and 20 injured. Another in 1959 had no deaths or injuries. Both happened at night.
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