April 2013 Stormchasing Trip -- Full Report

[JMoses24]

On April 10, 2013, I went storm chasing in Illinois and Missouri with my friend and chase partner Corey Ecton, and I can't believe I never wrote a full report on it.

Started the day north of Cincinnati just after 8 AM EDT along the I-275 loop where Corey, his wife Leslie and I met up. West on I-275 to East on I-74 to I-75 south to I-71 to I-64 in Louisville, then we blazed across IN to I-164, stopping just after 11 AM CT at a Starbucks on Green River Road between Indiana State Routes 66 and 62. So, went into Evansville but not a clinch. Darn.

Back to 64 to I-57 south to IL 14 west to its terminus south of Du Quoin, IL. From here, I'm not entirely sure, but I think we dropped south on US 51 to Carbondale, IL then west on IL 13. I know we stopped at a McDonalds in Murphysboro, IL.

From there, west on IL 13 to IL 3. South on IL 3 to IL 146 east of Cape Girardeau, MO and west to cross into Cape Girardeau proper. West on MO 74 to hit I-55 to MO 32 up to Farmington (I saw a funnel cloud near that city). Back to I-55 eventually, possibly using portions of US 67 to get there but I'm not sure because at this point I was focused on keeping us on the storms. Up through St Louis, north on I-55 to IL 4 south of Staunton, IL.

It was here, at what I believe to be an abandoned gas station along IL 4, that shit got crazy and an EF-0 tornado went right over our car! There's YouTube video which I will attach below. The voice you hear at 7 seconds in is mine, the woman is my stormchasing partner's wife Leslie, and of course the other male is Corey. Want to know why I say "Do not try this?" That video is why! Had this been a stronger tornado, we might have been killed.

After that, a beeline back to Florence on I-70, I-465, I-74 and I-75 including I-70's concurrency with I-57 near Effingham (where a squall line caught us and things got borderline crazy again). Got back just about 3:30 AM EDT.

New Counties - Vanderburgh County, Indiana (I'll count this, I-64 runs along its northern border so I was never sure) IL: Alexander, Union, Jackson, Franklin, Perry and (maybe, I don't know for sure because it was dark and, ya know, small tornado!) Macoupin; MO: Cape Girardeau, Ste Genevieve, St Francois, Perry, Jefferson.

[hbelkins]

At what point in the video does the tornado actually occur? All I saw was a lot of rain and the occasional flash of lightning.

And I presume there was a good reason for staying in the left lane once you got on the interstate.

[JMoses24]

The tornado, I believe, occurs around 2 minutes. It's hard to tell, you're right.

As for being in the left lane on the interstate, there are buildings on the west frontage road of I-55. We did not want to run over any debris if the tornado had hit any of them.

[hbelkins]

I thought it might have been because in some places, the pavement quality in Illinois is much better in the left lane than the right lane. 

[JMoses24]

I thought it might have been because in some places, the pavement quality in Illinois is much better in the left lane than the right lane. 

That, too. But mostly debris considerations.