CABLE – The National Weather Service in Wilmington on Thursday determined an EF0 tornado did minor damage approximately 6 miles east of Urbana during Wednesday’s severe storms.

The county had been placed under a tornado watch approximately three hours prior to the tornado formation and was under a severe thunderstorm warning just before the tornado formed.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado began at 4:21 p.m. approximately 6 miles east of Urbana north of U.S. Route 36 with the first visible sign of damage along Mutual Union Road. The tornado was approximately 150 yards wide with maximum winds of 75 miles per hour.

Minor roof damage was observed at one residence with nearly all trees in the surrounding location remaining intact. As the tornado continued northeast, outbuilding damage was observed on Yocom Road. The most concentrated area of damage occurred on Perry Road where multiple trees were uprooted and several outbuildings were damaged. The final location of damage was found on North Parkview Road where minor roof and tree damage was observed. The tornado likely dissipated east of this point. The total path of the tornado was estimated to be 3 miles long and it ended at 4:25 p.m. No fatalities or injuries were reported.

Hail large enough to damage cars was also reported.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington thanked Union County and Champaign County Emergency Management for their assistance with this survey.

About the EF Scale

The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0…Weak……65 to 85 mph

EF1…Weak……86 to 110 mph

EF2…Strong….111 to 135 mph

EF3…Strong….136 to 165 mph

EF4…Violent…166 to 200 mph

EF5…Violent…>200 mph