Group 22 Assesses Tornado Damage

By 2nd Lt. Marc Stanley, Palwaukee Composite Squadron, CAP
Digital Images By Maj. Bob Williams, Commander Group 22, CAP

POPLAR GROVE, Ill -- On January 7, 2008 a tornado touched ground near Poplar Grove, IL at approximately 3:20 PM and followed a track 50-100 yards wide and 13 miles long towards Harvard, IL. Over a period of around 20 minutes, several people were injured and significant property damage resulted in the affected area.  Members of Group 22 flew a sortie in order to assist the National Weather Service to determine the severity and extent of damage caused by this storm. Lt. Col. Lou Wipotnik piloted the aircraft and Major Bob Williams served as photographer.  Also aboard was Mr. Jim Allsop, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

For more detailed coverage of the tornado damage, please see NOAA's National Weather Service website: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=20080107tor

The images below clearly illustrate the destructive energy of this EF3 class storm whose winds may have reached speeds of up to 165 mph. (click on each image for a larger version)