JUNE WEATHER HISTORY FOR THE 1ST -10TH
http://www.examiner.com/weather-in-wilmington/charlie-wilson
Charlie Wilson Wilmington Weather ExaminerSubscribeSponsor an Examiner A member of the American Meteorological Society, 
Charlie Wilson has combined his knowledge of Meteorology & Weather History with his Education background in Communications.
 (Ref. Charlie Wilson Weather History) 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 1st: 1812 Apple trees at New Haven, CT did not blossom until the first of June, the latest such occurrence during the period beginning in 1794. Snow whitened the ground at Cleveland, OH and Rochester, NY. 1903 A strong tornado just 50 to 75 yards wide killed 104 people and injured 180 others around Gainesville/New Holland, GA. Fifty, including many children, killed when storm strikes the Gainesville Cotton Mill. The tornado strengthened and widened near the end of its four mile path, killing 40 people at New Holland, GA. 1907 Sarmiento, Argentinarecorded South America’s coldest temperature ever as the mercury dropped to -29°. 1919 Snowfall of almost a half inch fell at Denver, CO. This is their greatest 24-hour snowfall recorded in the month of June. Two temperature records were set: The low temperature of 32° was a record low for the date and the high of only 40° was a record low maximum. Cheyenne, WY recorded 1.6 inches of snow, which is one of only 6 times that at least one inch of snow has fallen at Cheyenne in June. 1934 June started off on a hot note as high temperatures surpassed the century mark across parts of the Midwest. Several locations tied or set record high temperatures for June including: Rockford, IL: 106°, Mather, WI: 105°, Hatfield, WI: 103°, Mondovi, WI: 102°, Chicago, IL: 102° and Grand Rapids, MI tied their June record high with 102°. 1947 Air Force weather flights into Pacific typhoons commenced on this date. 1951 Billings, MT, Sheridan, WY and Miles City, MT recorded their all-time coldest June high temperatures of 36°, 38° & 40° respectively. 1969 For about three seconds, a brilliantly white and apparently spherical ball of fire occurred at tree-top height, vividly lighting the area near the Cabin John Bridge exit of the Capital Beltway in Maryland, just northwest of Washington, D.C. The eerie phenomenon was ball lightning from a thunderstorm. 1971 8 inches of snow fell at Rainier Park Ranger Station in Washington (elevation 5,427 feet). This ended up as the final snowfall of the 1970-71 winter season and brought the seasonal snowfall total to 1,027 inches to set a new record for the U.S. Despite this huge amount of snow, even more fell in the 1971- 72 season. 1980 A man from Falmouth, ME was struck by lightning restoring his eyesight. The man had been blind and partially deaf since a truck accident in 1971. 1981 Severe thunderstorms produced grapefruit size hail at Edmond, OK and some hail fell for as long as 20 minutes. Total damage in the Edmond area was up to $10 million dollars, as the hail destroyed the roofs and windows of many homes and autos. Softball size hail fell in Kingfisher, Blaine, and Logan Counties, while hail reached baseball size around Lake Lawtonka, in Comanche County. 1984 In Massachusetts, the Connecticut River reached its highest level since the hurricane flood of September 1938. The temperature at Apalachicola, FL tumbled to 48°, breaking the old record of 61° set in 1966. 1986 A large amount of hail fell across Central and Northeast New England. Four inch hailstones fell in Cumberland County, Maine. Six inches of hail accumulated at Naples, ME. Three tornadoes struck Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada tearing off roofs and breaking windows. Storms were accompanied by high winds and hail. 1987 Severe thunderstorms in the Upper Mississippi Valley and the Lower Ohio Valley produced wind gusts to 81 mph at Albert Lea Airport in southern Minnesota, and baseball size hail around Otterbein, IN, Sarona, WI, and Danville, IL. Two inches of baseball size hail totally destroyed 5,000 acres of corn and soybean north of Danville. 1988 Thunderstorms drenched north central Texas with torrential rains, with more than 14 inches reported in parts of Commanche County. 1989 Thunderstorms developing during the afternoon over the Southern Plains Region produced severe weather through the evening and the night, spawning 9 tornadoes. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 80 mph at Alpine, TX, and baseball size hail at Balmorhea and Fluvanna, TX, and in Borden County, Texas. 1990 A violent F4 tornado hit Bakersville Valley in west Texas. The tornado killed two people and injured 21 others. It also removed 300 feet of blacktop asphalt from a paved road and rolled two 90-ton oil tanks a distance of three miles and put them 600 feet up the side of a mountain. Total damage was $35 million dollars. 1996 A man skydiving southwest of Las Vegas, NV inadvertently crossed paths with a dust devil causing his parachute to collapse about 30 feet above the ground. The man died from injuries sustained in the resulting fall. 1998 Over 1,300 wildfires burned out of control in Florida as the state baked in an extended dry period. Fires were burning in every county in the state but one. 1999 A tornado with an intermittent damage path, damaged 200 homes, businesses, and other buildings in the southern portion of St. James, MO. Of these, 33 homes were destroyed along with the St. James Golf Course clubhouse and two Missouri Department of Transportation buildings. Initially, the tornado produced F1 damage, damaging roofs and destroying a barn. The tornado then moved east, south of the downtown St. James area and intensified. F2 to F3 damage occurred with a 200 to 300 yard damage path. Several homes and farm buildings were severely damaged or destroyed. The tornado then weakened rapidly, producing F1 damage with a damage path width of 150 yards about 3 miles southeast of downtown. Further north, severe thunderstorms produced many tornadoes around central Illinois. The most intense tornado touched down in Montgomery County south of Farmersville, and moved into southwest Christian County. One person was killed, when a semi-trailer was overturned at a rest area on I-55. Tornadoes also touched down east of Pana, in Shelby County. Across eastern parts of the state, high winds up to 70 mph caused damage to trees, power lines, and some buildings. The Mattoon area also reported flooding from these storms, producing $3 million dollars damage. 2002 The high temperature at Denver, CO equaled or exceeded 90° for 13 consecutive days equaling the 5th longest such streak on record. The record of 18 consecutive days was set during the summer of 1901. 2003 Thunderstorm activity well to the northeast of the Eddy and Lea County plains enduced a strong mesohigh and associated outflow winds which evolved into a classic haboob wind and dust storm. The haboob swept south and southeast across most of those counties, and resulted in minor damage. Radar and surface observations indicate the outflow originated as a complex of weak and disorganized storms moved across the area northeast of Roswell, some 50 miles away from northern Eddy County. Thertesia AWOS measured a wind gust of 74 MPH. Real-time reports, along with subsequent photographs provided by the county emergency manager, indicated a large wall of dust associated with the leading edge of the damaging winds. Power poles were blown down as the winds swept across the west side of Carlsbad, at least 60 to 70 miles south of the parent thunderstorms. The haboob significantly reduced local visibilities across both Eddy and Lea Counties, with severe wind gusts limited to Eddy County. 2005 The UV Index at Toronto, Ontario Canada reached 10.56, rounded to 11, extreme by the 5-category UV scale. This is the first time this extreme category has ever been attained in Canada. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 2nd: 1829 A tornado raced through the young settlement of Guelph, Ontario Canada unroofing several houses, leveling fences and entirely demolishing a frame barn. It uprooted six acres of a woodlot, city founder John Galt had left as an ornament to his house. 1889 A great flood on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. took out a span of Long Bridge, and flooded streets near the river. The flood stage reached was not again equaled until 1936. 1917 The temperature at Tribune, KS dropped to 30° to establish the state record low temperature for June. 1949 A tornado northeast of Alfalfa, OK circled an area one mile in radius. 1951 Cheyenne, WYrecorded their all-time coldest temperature on record for the month of June with a low of 25°. Scottsbluff, NE recorded a tenth of an inch of snowfall, which remains the latest day of the season on record that measurable snow has fallen in Scottsbluff. The latest in a season that a significant snow (two inches or more) occurred in the lower elevations of the South Dakota Plains occurred when Newell reported two inches of new snow. 1970 5.01 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Buffalo, NY to establish an all-time record for the location. 1975 Snow fell across southern England, including Buxton, Derbyshire and on hills south of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Newark, Grantham and Peterborough. Snow was also observed at Cambridge and Colchester. The snow was the latest in the year over the United Kingdom since the late 19th Century. 1978 The high temperature in Needles, CA was 100°. This began a record streak of 97 consecutive days with the high temperature reaching 100 degrees or hotter. 1985 Record early season heat occurred in the southeast U.S. The mercury climbed to a scorching 106° at Charleston, SC, shattering the all-time high temperature of 103° last set on 6/30/1959. At Savannah, GA, a high reading of 104° made it the hottest temperature ever recorded for the month of June. 1986 On the heels of a record heat wave, the overnight temperature at Sault Ste Marie, MI dropped to a chilly 28°. Light frost was observed on the ground as well as some ice on puddles. 1987 Thunderstorms spawned 7 tornadoes in West Texas and 6 tornadoes in Illinois. Thunderstorms in Illinois produced wind gusts to 70 mph at McComb and Mattoon. Thunderstorms in southern Texas produced 5.5 inches of rain south of Seguin, and up to 8 inches of rain in parts of Washington County. 1988 Severe thunderstorms in Texas and Oklahoma produced hail more than 3 inches in diameter near Stillwater, OK, and softball size hail in Jones County of north central Texas. Baseball size hail and 70 mph winds caused an estimated $100 million dollars damage around Abilene, TX. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather across much of the south central U.S. through most of the day and night. Thunderstorms spawned a dozen tornadoes, and there were 123 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 78 mph at Russell, KS, and baseball size hail was reported at Denver, CO, Cuthbert, TX, and in Reeves County, Texas. 120 mph wind gusts at Fitchburg, MA produce $5 million in damage. 1990 A two-day outbreak of tornadoes in the central U.S. produced 66 twisters, including 12 in Illinois. In Illinois, two violent F4 tornados moved across mainly rural areas of southeast Illinois; a third traveled 94 miles across southeast Illinois and southwest Indiana, causing extensive damage. In Edgar County, one tornado damaged six buildings near Grandview, and another tornado began an 11 mile track near Horace, damaging several farms. Overall, 7 of the tornadoes were rated F4 on the Fujita scale. Indiana was the hardest hit with 37 tornadoes and eight deaths. This outbreak was the largest outbreak since the Super-Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974. During the early morning hours of June 2nd, 1990 residents of Sioux Falls received a rude awakening as strong thunderstorms moved through the area. The thunderstorms were packing strong straight-line winds as they moved into the southwest side of town. Damage was widespread along a 4 mile stretch as the winds broke numerous tree limbs and even felled a few trees. An apartment building under construction was damaged, as was a trailer which had its roof destroyed. Two other trailers were tipped over. The downed trees and tree limbs severed numerous power lines leaving around 5000 residents without power for a short time. 1991 A rare morning tornado struck the town of Guernsey, WY at about 9am, damaging vehicles and about 5 homes. 1994 A tsunami struck East Java, Indonesia with a maximum wave height of 46 feet killing 238 people. More than 4,000 people lost their lives due to tsunamis worldwide in the 1990s. Rajasthan, India saw their afternoon high soar to 120°. 1995 The National Severe Storms Laboratory conducted a field study across the Plains states during the spring in 1994 and again in 1995. An armada of vehicles, research aircraft and 75 scientists conducted a series of field experiments investigating theories about tornadoes. Unfortunately for the scientists, there weren't many tornadoes in the experiment area across the Plains. As the field experiment was approaching its end in June, the meteorologists finally hit the jackpot near Dimmit, TX. For the first time, the Doppler on Wheels observed the echo-free eye inside the tornado funnel, surrounded by the dense circle of debris spinning around the funnel, one of their primary goals. 1996 Hail as large as four inches in diameter pummeled the western third of Gaines County, Texas destroying an estimated 80,000 to 90,000 acres of crops that included cotton, peanuts, and peppers. Total crop damage was estimated at $17 million dollars. The windshield of a Seminole Fire truck was broken by the large hail while the firemen were out spotting the storm. A 15-year-old male drowned in a rip current at an unguarded stretch of beach at Miami Beach, FL. Winds were from the east at 20 mph. 1998 One of the strongest tornadoes in Maryland history skipped for 15 miles through the mountainous countryside near Frostburg, destroying at least 30 buildings and damaging 100 others. The F4 tornado narrowly missed the city's downtown business district about 9:45pm. No deaths or serious injuries were reported in Frostburg, due to ample warnings on television and radio and through emergency sirens. Two people were killed by a tornado in rural northeastern Pennsylvania. The parent supercell for this tornado was tracked for over 200 miles. Fans riding out a rain delay at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA at a game between the Pirates and Mets were menaced by a funnel cloud that passed over the stadium. A swarm of tornadoes swept across southern Ontario Canada leaving a band of destruction and several injuries. The Norwich Anglican Church lost its parish hall and steeple. 2001 An F2 tornado cut a seven mile path through London, KY, hitting the downtown area and a shopping mall. According to eyewitnesses, the tornado remained stationery over the parking lot of the mall for four minutes. A huge chunk of pavement from the parking lot was removed and blown over 100 feet. The tornado also struck a baseball complex. Teams hid in the concession stand and one in a dugout, where parents shielded the little leaguers with their bodies. Only 10 injuries, none of them life threatening, were reported from the tornado. 2003 Cool air settled in across parts of the upper Midwest. Chicago, IL dropped to 38°; setting a new record low for the date and Rockford, IL tied their record low for the date with 41°. 2004 A severe weather outbreak occurred across the eastern two-thirds of Oklahoma and western north Texas. Across Oklahoma, it was mainly a wind event, with 60 mph or stronger winds measured at Norman, Enid, and Stillwater. Some structural damage was reported. In Texas, strong winds caused major structural damage at the Vernon airport, along with baseball size hail near Scotland, in Archer County. Strong straight-line winds derailed 68 empty grain cars of a Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train just west of Wright, KS. 2008 Several supercell thunderstorms rolled southeast from northwest South Dakota into central South Dakota, bringing large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding during the late afternoon and evening hours. The large hail, up to baseball size, and high winds killed a large number of birds, pheasants, and rabbits. Thousands of acres of grassland and cropland along with countless shelter belts received minor to major damage in Stanley and Hughes County. The large hail also knocked out many windows and damaged the siding of buildings and homes in both Stanley and Hughes counties. Many roads and cropland were also affected by flash flooding throughout Hughes and Stanley Counties. Very heavy rain of over 3 inches caused flash flooding in many parts of Pierre into the early morning hours. Many roads were reportedly inundated with one to two feet of water. Several homes in southeast Pierre received sewer backup. Also several homes on Grey Goose road received flood damage. A Federal Disaster Declaration was issued for Hughes and Stanley Counties, mainly for the flooding. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 3 1860 The Great Camanche Tornado or the Great Tornado of the Northwest was actually a group of tornadoes that moved across Iowa and Illinois. It was one of the most damaging group of tornadoes ever to strike the US and resulted in more farm fatalities than any other tornado except for the TriState tornado. The town of Camanche, IA on the Mississippi River was completely destroyed. The greatest death toll of 124 people occurred in an area extending from near Cedar Rapids, IA, to Albany, IL. A total of 175 people were killed and 329 were injured. Total damage was $945,000 dollars. Several tornadoes struck northern Illinois killing 100 people and injuring 220 others. The death toll included 23 people on a raft which was destroyed as a tornado moved across the Mississippi River. The twisters destroyed numerous businesses and farms and even threw several homes into the Mississippi River where 10 occupants drowned. 1887 A tornado or waterspout touched down on the Wabash River, about 5 miles north of its mouth with the Ohio River. Three people drowned when a boat was overturned at Old Shawneetown. 1902 The widest-known tornado in Europe raced across Javaugues, France. Although the path length was only 4.4 miles long, it was 3,270 yards wide. Remarkably, there was only one fatality. 1905 Seattle, WA received their heaviest ever 24-hour June rainfall as 1.42 inches fell. 1921 A cloudburst near Pikes Peak, CO killed 120 people. Pueblo, CO was flooded by a 25 foot crest of the Arkansas River, killing 70 people. 14 inches of rain was reported at Boggs Flat, where a hard surface road through nearly level country was washed out to a depth of 7 feet. 1951 Sheridan, WY dropped to 27°; their coldest June temperature on record. Denver, CO received a trace of snow. 1959 Thunderstorms in northwestern Kansas produced up to 18 inches of hail near Salden during the early evening. Crops were completely destroyed, and total damage from the storm was about half a million dollars. Hail fell for a record 85 minutes. The temperature dropped from near 80° prior to the storm to 38° at the height of the storm. 1970 Edmonton, Alberta's Municipal Airport in Canada broke their high temperature record for June when the mercury soared to 94°. 1975 Severe thunderstorms erupted across central sections of South Dakota. During the evening hours the storms stretched from the southern border to the northern border of the state and were packing strong winds and large hail. In several areas, including Mobridge, hail as large as baseballs did damage to crops, homes, and vehicles and in some areas piled up to two feet deep. Strong thunderstorm winds also uprooted trees, and damaged numerous farm buildings. Numerous funnels and small tornadoes were observed, including three in Charles Mix County, but little additional damage occurred. Four small tornadoes touched down very late in the day. One landed in a park near Elk Point, SD that damaged a house and trees. Another tornado touched down four miles southeast of Le Mars which lifted a car off the road and uprooted trees. The third tornado was five miles southeast of Le Mars and it destroyed four farm buildings. Finally, the fourth twister destroyed two livestock sheds and damaged two grain bins in McNally southeast of Hawarden. 1980 The Grand Island, NE area was plagued by a slow moving supercell thunderstorm that produced 7 tornadoes over a 3-hour period. One of the twisters was an F4 while 3 others rated as F3’s. Five fatalities and 193 injuries resulted from the storm. Damage exceeded $300 million dollars. Damaging thunderstorms marched across southeastern Pennsylvania during the afternoon accompanied by high winds. Reading reported a wind gust to 70 mph and Allentown gusted to 69 mph. Thousands of trees were felled. One man was killed when a tree fell on his pick-up truck in Philadelphia. Many roads were completely blocked by fallen trees. 1981 The worst tornado to ever hit Denver, CO struck Thornton. Coming from the same thunderstorm, the Thornton tornado tore a swath through the heart of the city. 87 homes were destroyed and 110 others sustaining at least moderate damage. In all, 600 homes in a 100 block area sustained some damage. The twister also hit shopping centers, several restaurants and other buildings. Seven of the 42 injured were serious. The storm was strong enough to snap lamp posts in half and drive a 6-inch slab of wood two feet into the ground. Damage was estimated up to $50 million dollars. 1982 Alberto was a minimal hurricane west of the Florida Keys for about six hours on this date, before gradually dissipating off the southwest coast on the 6th. Maximum winds observed at a land station were 70 mph at Dry Tortugas at 1800z on this date, with the center less than 20 miles from the island. Key West measured 6.25 inches of rain during the 24 hours ending at 1200z on the 4th. Two tornadoes occurred in the lower Keys, producing the only damage from the storm. The lower Keys were the only parts of Florida directly affected by Alberto. 1987 Six days of flooding in South Texas culminated with 5 to 6 inches of rain from Bexar to Bandera County, and 5 to 9 inches rains in Gonzalez and Wilson Counties. Total crop damage was estimated at $500 million dollars. Four tornadoes were reported in Virginia. Quantico, VA received 2.40 inches of rain in one hour. Potomac, MD was deluged with 1.50 inches in 30 minutes. 1988 Early morning thunderstorms in southern Texas produced wind gusts to 86 mph at Port Isabel, and wind gusts to 83 mph at South Padre Island. 1989 Thunderstorms developing over the Southern Plains Region during the afternoon hours produced severe weather into the night. Thunderstorms spawned 11 tornadoes with 169 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 80 mph at Newcastle and Wilson, OK. Softball size hail was reported at Monahans, Childress and Groesbeck, TX. Monahans, TX reported $6 million dollars damage. Five inches of rain deluged Geronimo, OK. Fort Wayne, INset a June 24-hour rainfall record as 4.40 inches fell. 1990 Deep low pressure across the upper Great Lakes brought strong southwest winds to the extreme western end of New York. Peak gusts of 63 mph at Niagara Falls and 59 mph at Buffalo were recorded. Several cars were damaged when large tree limbs, and in two cases uprooted trees, fell on them. About 6,000 were without power as many scattered power outages were reported. A local public television station was knocked off the air for just over an hour when falling trees disrupted power to their transmitter. Wind damage was reported in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Grand Island, Batavia, Medina, Dunkirk and Chautauqua. 1993 Early morning severe thunderstorms dumped huge hailstones across northern Oklahoma. Hail up to 6 inches in diameter in Enid went through roofs of homes, damaged three jets at Vance Air Force Base, and did $500,000 in damage at a car dealership. Winds gusts reached 70 mph at Vance Air Force Base as well. Hail damage to the wheat crop was estimated at $70 million dollars. Heavy snow blanketed the higher elevations of west central Wyoming. Worthen Reservoir west of Lander picked up a foot of new snow. 1995 Hurricane Allison formed in the northwest Caribbean Sea and moved north through the eastern Gulf of Mexico, weakening to tropical storm strength before crossing the coast at St. Teresa, near Alligator Point in the Florida Big Bend area at 0900z on the 5th. At landfall, maximum sustained winds were 69 mph with a minimum central pressure of 990 millibars. Maximum rainfall amounts were between 4 and 6 inches. Storm surge heights were estimated at 6 to 8 feet from Dixie through Wakulla counties. Damage was greatest in the coastal sections of Levy, Dixie, Taylor and Wakulla counties, mainly from storm surge effects, with 60 homes and businesses damaged. About 5,000 people evacuated from the coast. Most beach erosion was minor, except locally heavy in Pinellas County, with damage to sea walls and coastal roadways. Several small boats were sunk. Four confirmed tornadoes, associated with outer rainbands, touched down in Polk, Duval and Nassau counties. Otherwise, minor wind damage to roofs, signs, power lines and trees occurred over north Florida. Total storm damage in Florida was estimated at $860,000 dollars. This was the beginning of our current multi-decadal period. The 1995 Atlantic Hurricane Season went down in the record books as one of the busiest hurricane seasons since 1871. There were a total of 19 named storms, 11 of which reached hurricanes. Heavy rain resulted in significant flooding in Wheatland, WY, with water up to 3 feet deep reported on some streets. 1997 It was a chilly day in the East. The high temperature at Philadelphia International Airport, PA was only 59°, tying a record-low maximum for the date set back in 1881. The mercury at Middletown, PA only rose to 58°, breaking the record-low maximum for the date of 59° set back in 1915. Washington D.C. only reached 58°, breaking the old record-low maximum of 59° set back in 1915. At Williamsport, PA, the high temperature of 52° tied the old record-low maximum, which was set in back in 1945. Central Park in New York City only reached 61°. 1999 June snow in Southern California is a rare event, only occurring in the mountains of Los Angeles County a few times in recorded history. On this date, light snow was reported at Frazier Park, north of Los Angeles. The snow melted on contact with the ground and there was no accumulation. Three inches of snow was reported at Mt. Laguna and one inch at Wrightwood. The high temperature at Mount Wilson, CA was only 38°, breaking the record for the coldest high temperature in June of 43° set back in June 1968. Palomar Mountain and Mt. Laguna only reached afternoon highs of 42°. 2002 An impressive heat burst at Amarillo, TX caused the temperature to jump to 90° at 3:21 am. The heat burst was accompanied by winds of 55 mph. 2007 As low pressure moved east from the western Great lakes, the remains of Tropical Storm Barry moved northeast from the Carolinas. Severe thunderstorms developed along a lake breeze over Niagara County in western New York State. The thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines in North Tonawanda and Lockport. As the localized storms crossed the Finger Lakes region, several inches of rain fell in a short amount of time washing out roads and driveways. 2009 Across western Canada, Victoria, British Columbia's temperature reached 86° for the second straight day. Across the waters, the mercury also climbed to 86° in downtown Vancouver. 2010 An EF-1 water spout-turned-tornado struck the Australian coastal town of Lennox Head in northern New South Wales. Unseasonably warm ocean temperatures created a pocket of warm air which collided with a cold air mass, leading to a cluster of severe thunderstorms that spawned the twister. This was an extremely unusual event, as it occurred during austral winter and the region's severe thunderstorm season is typically November - April. With wind speeds reaching more than 90mph, dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jun 4th: 1814 A severe weather outbreak occurred across portions of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. A tornado destroyed or unroofed homes at the edge of Kaskaskia, along the Mississippi River. Tornadoes also occurred near the Wabash River, across Lawrence and Wabash Counties. The tornado in Wabash County was reportedly a mile wide, and crossed into Indiana. Damage from this tornado in forested areas was reportedly still visible in 1876. Further south, a tornado crossing the Wabash River north of Shawneetown reportedly devastated the lower end of Wabash Island, killing 3 people on the Indiana side. 1825 A hurricane struck Long Island, NY leveling trees and causing damage to ships. The early season hurricane, which originated around Cuba, caused major damage along the Atlantic coast from Charleston, SC to New York City. Many were lost at sea. The schooner Hornet foundered near New York with loss of her entire crew. 1877 A tornado of F4 intensity touched down just west of Mt. Carmel, IL and moved east northeast, devastating the town. The tornado occurred in a heavily wooded area, and many trees were thrown long distances. After crossing the Wabash River, the tornado tracked for another 5 miles across Indiana before dissipating. 20 businesses and 100 homes were damaged or destroyed. At least 16 people, and as many as 30, were killed, with 100 others injured. 1885 Pittsburgh, PA & Cleveland, OH received up to 10 inches of rain that caused serious flooding. 1889 A fierce wind and rain storm, pummeled Bridgetown, New Brunswick Canada with pea-sized hail. Several barns were demolished. 1892 A rare June snowfall occurred at Cheyenne, WY with 8 inches reported. 1937 Another rare June snowfall occurred at Cheyenne, WY with 3 inches reported. 1945 Several locations in the upper Midwest had their coldest June temperatures on record. La Crosse, WI and Waukon, IA dropped to 32°. This was their latest spring freeze and coldest June temperature. Other locations recording their coldest June temperature were Mondovi, WI: 29° and Richland Center, WI: 31°. 1951 This was the start of the second shortest snow-free period on record at Denver, CO of 109 days. This occurred with the last snow of the season: a trace on this date. The first snow of the next season occurred on September 21st when 4.2 inches of snow fell. 1958 An F4 tornado tracked 32 miles through St Croix and Dunn Counties in Wisconsin, killing 20 people and injuring 110 others. 1980 High winds, large hail, and a few tornadoes did damage across South Dakota during the afternoon and evening hours. Thunderstorms produced straight line wind gusts of over 50 mph in many areas including 60 mph at Sioux Falls and 70 mph at Huron. The strong winds near Sioux Falls blew down many trees and power lines, as well as the KELO radio tower. In south central South Dakota baseball sized hail ravaged portions of Todd County. Southern Jackson County was the unfortunate recipient of 6 tornadoes in less than one-half hour including two on the ground at the same time. All told, the straight line winds did much more damage than the tornadoes. 1982 A four-day storm began over New England which produced up to 14 inches of rain in southern Connecticut breaching 23 dams and breaking two others. Damage was estimated at more than $276 million dollars. 1984 Heavy rains of up to 7 inches caused the Bad River to rise over 23 feet in six hours at Fort Pierre. Flash flooding resulted as a dam, 17 miles west of Fort Pierre gave way and an irrigation dam near town was damaged. Some roads and bridges were covered by water. Many homes had water damage. Strong thunderstorm winds gusting up to 60 mph downed numerous branches and several signs in Faulk, Edmunds, McPherson, and Brown County. 1985 The temperature reached a stifling 102° at Lakeland, FL, setting a new high for the month of June as well as establishing a new all-time high for any month. The previous high for June was 100° set most recently on 6/17/1981. The previous all-time hottest day occurred on 7/21/1942 with a reading of 101°. 1987 Early morning thunderstorms in south Texas produced 6.5 inches of rain at Hockheim, and 5 inches at Hallettsville, in just a few hours. Afternoon thunderstorms in Virginia deluged northern Halifax County with 5.5 inches of rain in just two hours. Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 76 mph at Dusty, VA, and wind gusts to 88 mph at Swanquarter, NC. Preston, MN recorded their coldest June temperature ever when they dropped to 31°. 1988 Many cities in the eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Atlantic City, NJ with a reading of 40°. Many cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Glasgow and Havre, MT with readings of 102°. Billings, MT hit 101°, their earliest occurrence of triple digit heat. They would hit 102°the next day. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Southern Plains Region and the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Southern Atlantic Coast Region during the day and into the night. Just four tornadoes were reported, but there were 87 reports of large hail or damaging winds. Thunderstorms produced locally heavy rains of up to 5 inches in two hours that caused flooding in some areas of northwest Ford county and eastern Finney County in Kansas. Dodge City received heavy rains that washed several cars off roadways. One man nearly drowned as the flood waters carried him nearly two blocks after he got out of his car and tried to walk through running water. No major damage was reported in Dodge City. 1993 Severe thunderstorms were widespread from Missouri and Arkansas eastward to the Mid Atlantic states with more than 260 reports of severe weather, including over two dozen tornadoes. An early morning mesoscale convective complex over southern Missouri and north Arkansas moved eastward and evolved into a vicious derecho, traversing eastward across Kentucky in excess at 80 mph at one point. Wind gusts reached 100 mph near Elizabethtown, KY. Damage was widespread. 30 homes and mobile homes suffered major damage in Butler County. Over 75% of the roads in the county were blocked due to downed trees. 4.5 inch diameter hail fell at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. Total damage from the high winds at hail in Virginia was $60 million dollars, with $21 million of that occurred in the city of Lynchburg. 3.5 inch inch diameter hail was reported in Davie County in North Carolina. An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale shook a portion of northeast South Dakota and west central Minnesota. The epicenter of the quake was 22 miles northwest of Morris, MN or 38 miles east of Sisseton, SD. The quake was the first in the area since 1975 and lasted from 4 to 30 seconds rattling dishes, knocking down pictures and surprising everyone. 1998 The temperature at Williston, ND dropped to 26° to establish a monthly record for June. Neillsville, WI also reported their coldest June temperature as they dropped to 22°. The mercury dropped to 24° in Tower, MN as winter made one last call across the northern Plains. 2 to 3 inches of snow fell in portions of South Dakota and 7 inches fell in portions of Wyoming. A late season snow storm struck Colorado’s Front Range Foothills. Up to 5 inches of snow fell at Coal Creek Canyon. Light snow also fell over western sections of Denver and briefly at the airport. Snow covered the grass at Lakewood before melting by mid-morning. Several temperature records were set. The high temperatures of 47° on this date and 49° on the 5th were low maximums for their respective dates. The minimum temperature of 34° on the 5th and 6th were record lows for the date. 1999 Las Vegas, NV recorded a high temperature of 67°. This was the coldest high temperature ever recorded in June. 2003 A rare June snow fell in Moscow, Russia, but warm ground temperatures prevented accumulation. This was the first June snowfall in Moscow since 1963. 2009 Fairbanks, AK soared to 85°, just missing the record high of 86° set in 1993. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 5th: 1805 A group of tornadoes tracked from southeast Missouri across the southern third of Illinois, and may also have moved into Indiana. These moved across the Mississippi River about 20 miles downstream from St. Louis, MO. Fish were reportedly "scattered all over the prairie" on the Illinois side of the river. Some pine tree tops, not native to that area of Illinois, were believed to have been blown in from at least 50 miles away. The easternmost documented damage was south of present-day Albion, in Edwards County. A straight line between these areas would indicate the tornadoes also tracked across present-day Mount Vernon, but an exact track could not be determined due to lack of settlements in the area at the time. 1859 Widespread frost was reported from Iowa to New England, with the temperature dipping to the mid 20s in parts of New York State, and up to two inches of snow blanketed parts of Ohio. 1908 Beginning the day before through this date, Helena, MT was deluged with 3.67 inches of rain to establish their all-time 24 hour rainfall record. 1916 A tornado outbreak across Missouri and Arkansas killed 125 people. Warren, AR was devastated by a tornado that killed 83 people. 36 cities in Arkansas felt the wrath of the widespread tornado outbreak, including Little Rock, Hot Springs and Heber Springs, where 22 people died. The outbreak holds the record for the greatest number of killer tornadoes in a single state in one day at 18. 1917 Residents near Topeka, KS reported disk-shaped hailstones 6 to 10 inches in diameter, and 2 to 3 inches thick. The hailstorm was accompanied by a tornado. A tornado causing F4 damage killed 16 and injured 68 in Boone and Audrain counties in Missouri. 1925 Washington, D.C. & Philadelphia, PA had their earliest triple digit readings on record. 1945 Unusually cold air moved in to parts of the upper Midwest. Chicago, IL dropped to 37° after setting a record low the previous morning with 35° while Rockford, IL dropped to 35° on both mornings. Both 35 degree readings established June record lows. 1976 When water began leaking from Idaho's new Teton Dam, there seemed to be no cause for alarm. On this date, warnings were frantic that the dam was about to break. As workers tried to shore up the crumbling dam, it crumbled shortly after 11am, sending 180 billion gallons of water pouring through Teton Canyon. 11 people lost their lives, but the toll would have been much higher if the dam had failed at night and residents had been asleep. 1982 A severe thunderstorm containing large hail and damaging winds tore through Fall River County in extreme southwest South Dakota. Strong winds drove baseball sized hail through windows and severely dented mobile homes near Smithwick. In Butte County, also in southwest South Dakota, large hail up to baseball size and some jagged hailstones up to 7 inches in diameter piled up to half a foot deep. The large hail tore limbs from trees, punched holes in roofs, and killed cattle. 1985 A persistent heat wave in the southeast states set many new high temperature records. In Montgomery, AL, the record high reading of 103° is also the hottest ever recorded this early in the season. At Tampa, FL, the 99° high temperature established a new all-time record high, dating back to 1890 when official weather records began. Wichita Falls, TX reported 5.36 inches of rain, their greatest rainfall ever for a calendar day. 1987 Unseasonable thunderstorms on this date and the 6th produced flash flooding, power outages, and many lightning induced fires in Los Angeles County of southern California, particularly in the Antelope Valley. Over half a million people were without power, some until the morning of the 8th. International Falls, MN dipped to a record low reading of 34° while Williston, ND and Glasgow, MT reported record high temperatures of 94°. Major flooding was reported along the Guadalupe River in South Texas, with the water level at Cuero reaching 18 feet above flood stage. 1988 Many cities in the south central and eastern U.S. reported record low temperatures for the date, including Asheville, NC with a reading of 40°. Many cities in the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date. The high of 108° at Glasgow, MT was a record for June. Sheridan, WY had their earliest 100 degree day as they hit 101°. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Southern Atlantic Coast during the day and into the night. Four tornadoes were reported, along with 87 reports of large hail and damaging winds. 1991 Severe thunderstorms dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain in less than 5 hours over parts of Osage County in Oklahoma. The hardest hit area was between Pawhuska and Shidler. Highway 60 west of Pawhuska was closed, and a few people were forced to evacuate their homes in Pawhuska. A severe thunderstorm produced wind gusts to 70 mph at the Scotts Bluff County airport in Nebraska. 1993 An unusually strong late spring storm moved into California. 3.24 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Lake Gregory, 1.26 inches at Santa Ana, 0.91 inches at Riverside, 0.85 inches at Big Bear Lake and 0.76 inches at Los Angeles, each new rainfall records for June. This was only one of two days Fresno received more than an inch of rain with 1.30 inches. The other day was 6/6/1998 when 1.88 inches fell. An F0 tornado touched down in south Fresno. Lodgepole received 13 inches of snow, their biggest June snowfall on record while Mammoth Mountain Ski Area received over 12 inches of snow. The lowest temperature for the month of June was recorded at Columbia, MO as they dropped to 40°. 1994 An approaching cold front spawned thunderstorms over South Dakota and northern Nebraska. The storms rolled eastward into much of northwest Iowa creating small tornadoes and a lot of strong straight-line winds. The first report of severe weather came from Plymouth County. Winds of 70 to 80 mph toppled trees and caused damage to a farm about ten miles north of Sioux City. The storms then moved into Sioux City, uprooting trees and downing power lines. Also, a mobile home park was hit with high winds overturning several mobile homes. Two small tornadoes were spawned. One was near Galva in Ida County which caused minimal damage. The other touched down in Buena Vista County, just south of Sulphur Springs, where it destroyed a garage at a farm. The last report of damage was near Newell, where several trees were downed. 1995 Hurricane Allison became the earliest hurricane on record to cross the Florida coast at when it came ashore in Taylor County at Apalachee Bay with 75 mph winds. Hardest hit was Dixie County, but damage was relatively minor. Minor storm surge flooding was reported along the eastern shoreline of Apalachee Bay. Minor wind damage was reported in northwest Florida. 1998 An F1 tornado touched down near the town of New Hope, MS creating a path one mile long and 50 yards wide. 13 houses had major damage and another 129 homes had minor damage. 22 mobile homes were either damaged or destroyed. Damages were estimated near $250,000 dollars. Another F1 tornado created a path two miles long and 50 yards wide 10 miles southeast of Hattiesburg, MS. This tornado blew down trees and a couple of signs as well as part of a roof building. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Hattiesburg, MS blocking many of the roads and highways. Winds heavily damaged 25 homes and 25 mobile homes. 45 people were injured and two people were killed. The two fatalities were both in automobiles which ran into falling trees or the trees fell on them. 1999 Winds gusting to 74 mph knocked down several trees throughout Groton. One tree took out a major transmission line and ripped the electrical service line off of a house. Power was out for parts of Groton for several hours. The high winds shattered the windows at a store on Main Street and also tore a sign loose which damaged five new vehicles at a dealership in Groton. The high winds also destroyed a small service building and the surrounding fence at a main juncture of natural gas pipelines in Groton. In Henry, winds around 70 mph brought several trees and many large tree branches down. Winds gusting to 80 mph snapped off several trees, blew a garage down, and brought power lines down in Hazel. In Watertown, winds gusted to over 70 mph, blowing a portion of a roof off a house and destroyed the attached garage on another house. Near Watertown, a pole barn was destroyed, a hay bale was blown into a basement window of a house and part of their deck was torn away. Near Florence, winds up to 80 mph tipped over and damaged a small shed, destroyed another storage shed, and also completely demolished a three stall garage. 2001 Tropical Storm Allison sprang to life in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Houston, TX with top winds of 60 mph. But the story did not end there. Allison dumped heavy rains all the way from the Texas coast to the northeast during a two week period, causing $2.5 billion dollars in damage. This made Allison the costliest tropical storm in U.S. history. As the Northern Hemisphere is approaching summer, the Southern Hemisphere is coming up on their winter season. The warmest June day since 1957 pushed the temperature to 70° at Melbourne, Australia. 2007 Tornadoes and nickel-sized hail hit the Edmonton, Alberta Canada area late in the afternoon. Residents observed one twister west of the city. A second tornado touched down south of Stony Plain. Heavy rain fell in the Edmonton neighborhood of Castle Downs: 2 inches in just 30 minutes. 2008 Very heavy rains of 3 to 7 inches caused extensive flooding throughout Dewey County, South Dakota. Many roads, bridges, dams, culverts, along with some buildings were damaged or destroyed by the flooding. One man, west of Promise, used a boat to get back and forth from his ranch. A federal disaster declaration was issued for Dewey County and the Cheyenne River Reservation. 2010 Several thousands of people were still stranded in northern Hungary as the flooding situation remained critical after over a month of near-continuous rainfall. Along the banks of the Hernad, Sajo and Boldva rivers some 2,300 people were evacuated due to the water flooding homes in the towns and villages in the northeast region. Over 12,000 police officers, soldiers and firemen are involved in the rescue operation, which has enjoyed a rare dry spell since Friday that is forecast to last for the next week. In Budapest the docks of the flooded river Danube were shut and the banks of Margaret island, a major tourist destination in the capital, were protected by sand bags. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 6th: 1816 The temperature reached 92° at Salem, MA during an early heat wave, but then plunged 49° in 24 hours to commence the famous "Year Without a Summer". Snow fell near Quebec City, Quebec Canada from the 6th through the 10th and accumulated up to a foot with "drifts reaching the axel trees of carriages". 1869 Snail shells fell from the sky at Chester, PA during a rain shower. 1888 A tornado raced between Cornwall, Ontario and Montreal in southeastern Quebec Canada, killing 3 people and destroying 500 farm buildings. 1894 One of the greatest floods in U.S. history occurred as the Williamette River overflowed to inundate half of the business district of Portland, OR. 1903 The Great Pacolet Flood killed 65 people in northwestern South Carolina as upslope flow created extreme rainfall amounts. Water reportedly rose 40 feet in just 1 hour. 1906 A tornado causing F4 damage moved east-northeast from 3 miles southwest of Caledonia, MN, crossing the Mississippi River about 12 miles south of La Crosse, WI, and dissipated 10 miles northeast of Coon Valley, WI. A mother and two children were killed as their farm near Freeburg, MN was leveled. One child was carried about half a mile. 15 people were injured in rural Minnesota homes. 14 homes were damaged or destroyed in Wisconsin, with one death occurring two miles east of Stoddard. An F3 tornado moved east-northeast out of Winneshiek County, Iowa destroying a large brick home southeast of Newhouse, MN just inside the Minnesota border. Clothes from the home were found over three miles away. One boy was severely injured, and may have died later. He had been closing windows on the second floor when the tornado struck. Also, on this date, an F2 tornado touched down just southeast of Sparta, WI and it moved north-northeast to near the Jackson County, Wisconsin border. The worse damage was east of Angelo, where "trees and barns were torn to shreds". About a dozen farms were damaged. 1907 A tornado causing F4 damage killed 5 people and injured 20 others in Washington County in Illinois. 1933 It was another hot day across parts of the Midwest. Rockford, IL set a record high with 98°. 1934 Los Angeles, CA received 0.33 inches of rain in two hours, making this their most intense June rainfall. 1937 Dome Lake, MT in the Bighorn Mountains, was buried under 32 inches of snow. 1944 Weather played a critical role in the decision of when to invade Normandy Beach in northern France. Each element of the allied forces needed a certain type of phenomena that best suited their needs. The navy and army needed high tides so the invading soldiers would not get hung up in the water. Further inland, the paratroopers needed a moonless sky so they would not be seen. Dates in May and very early June were set which met those criteria, but were called off because of very bad weather. On the early morning on this date, the weather was once again atrocious with high winds and rain. It was either invade now, or wait until late June when all the elements of moon and tide were together again. But this would risk the Germans fortifying their positions at Normandy. So the decision was made to attack on June 6th. The waves were high, and many soldiers got sea- sick, but the mission was a success. As a matter of fact, the weather was even worse in late June for the alternate landing than it was on this date. 1953 On June 4th, the center of Tropical Storm Alice passed about 60 miles west of Dry Tortugas and moved very near parallel to west coast of Florida and passed inland a short distance west of Panama City, about noon on this date. Winds remained below hurricane force during entire history of this storm and highest winds experienced on land were 40 to 45 mph. The storm produced beneficial rainfall. 1963 Three lightning deaths occurred during the afternoon across Florida: At Tampa: Lightning killed a small child in a bathtub and lightning killed a person repairing a roof. At Lake Seminole: Lightning killed a fisherman standing on the lake bank. 1975 A rare tornado, reportedly spinning anticyclonic was sighted near Alva, OK. 1977 Severe thunderstorms with large hail and winds to 100 mph caused a million dollars damage around Norfolk, VA. A 42 foot fishing boat capsized near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel drowning 13 of the 27 people on board. 1978 Severe thunderstorms developed along a strong cold front during the afternoon and continued into the following morning across parts of South Dakota. The storms stretched from Meade County in the west central to Roberts County in the northeast. Numerous reports of golf ball size were reported, damaging crops across the north. Thunderstorm winds also gusted to 70 mph in many areas. Total crop and property damage from the night's storms was estimated to be near $7 million dollars. 1984 An unseasonable storm buried portions of the Colorado Rockies between the 5th and the 8th with as much as two feet of snow with 18 inches in 24 hours ending on the 7th at Climax. Their storm total was 22.3 inches. June storm records set included 3 inches at Eagle, 15.5 inches at Aspen, and 16 inches at Breckenridge. 1986 The Great Salt Lake in Utah reached its historic high water level with the surface level at 4,211.85 feet, exceeding the previous record of 4,211.60 feet by 3 inches. The previous record was set in June of 1873 before the building of any causeways or dikes. 1987 Hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter fell in St. Clair County, in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Major damage occurred in Belleville, Cahokia, Freeburg, and Millstadt. Crops were smashed, and trees were stripped of leaves. $9 million dollars damage was reported to vehicles, and $4.5 million dollars damage to buildings. Thunderstorms in southern California produced one inch hail at Mount Pinos, and marble size hail at Palmdale. Thunderstorms in southeastern Arizona produced heavy rain leaving some washes under four feet of water. 1988 Several cities across the north central U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Williston, ND with a reading of 104°. Thunderstorms in Florida produced wind gusts to 65 mph which damaged two mobile homes northwest of Melbourne injuring six people. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather through the afternoon and night. Thunderstorms spawned 13 tornadoes with 154 reports of large hail or damaging winds. A strong F3 tornado injured six people at Lorenzo, TX, and thunderstorm winds gusting to 100 mph killed one person at Glasscock City, TX. Softball size hail was reported at Lipscomb and Glen Cove, TX. A large tornado touched down northwest of Liberal, KS and then moved south southeast, just passing west of the town. The tornado did considerable damage to farmsteads and irrigation systems in its path. Large hail, up to baseball size, also did considerable damage to automobiles and broke out windows in homes. Crop damage was extensive in the area from the hail. 1990 A strong F3 tornado tore through Limon, CO. 228 of the town's homes and trailers were either damaged or destroyed and nearly 80% of the central business district was wiped out. Hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter damaged the roofs of over 90% of the houses of Limon. 1992 6 to 8 inches of rain fell in parts of West Virginia resulting in mudslides. 1994 In west central Kansas, hail five inches in diameter knocked holes in roofs and damaged windshields and farm machinery 7 miles south of Tribune. Temperatures rose as high as 122° on this date through the 7th over portions of Northern India and Pakistan. Hundreds of people were killed. 1997 It was a chilly day from the Plains states to the East Coast. Record low maximum temperatures for the date included 65° at Charleston, SC, where over seven inches of rain fell in day-long thunderstorms. The high in Raleigh, NC was only 59°, tying the record all-time coldest June maximum temperature for that location. Atlanta, GA tied their record low for the date with 53° and Tulsa, OK broke the record for the date with a cold morning low of 53°. 1999 High winds developed over the foothills of Colorado near Boulder. The University of Colorado campus reported a wind gust to 87 mph while winds atop Niwot Ridge near the Continental Divide west of Boulder reached 72 mph. 2001 Feeder bands from Tropical Storm Allison dumped heavy rains over Southeast Louisiana. By the 8th, many locations from Baton Rouge south to Thibodeaux were deluged with 10 to 18 inches of rain, which produced tremendous flooding. Another round of heavy rains erupted on the 10th and 11th as Allison's remnants moved directly over the same area. By the end of the second round, up to 30 inches had fallen in the area around Thibodeaux, LA. Hundreds of homes were flooded. Further north, over 3 inches of rain fell on already saturated ground in Marion County, Mississippi causing flooding to many roads. 2002 A thunderstorm at Wye Mills, MD toppled the massive Wye Oak, the living symbol of Maryland's state tree and designated the largest white oak in the country. The tree was estimated to be more than 460 years old, 104 feet tall, with a trunk 32 feet in circumference. The parking lot of a closed service station at Somers Point, Atlantic Co, NJ, was hit by lightning. It traveled to the underground storage tank. The resulting explosion left a crater 50 feet in diameter and 8 to 10 feet deep. 2003 Port Alberni, British Columbia Canada soared to a record high temperature of 95°, smashing the old June mark by 16 degrees. 2007 An unusually strong storm system brought very strong winds to the Front Range Foothills in Colorado. Peak gusts included: 92 mph at Boulder, 85 mph two miles southwest of Boulder, 83 mph ten miles south of Boulder and 55 mph at Denver International Airport. The wind caused uprooted trees, power outages and the cancellation of 60 flights at Denver International Airport. On this date through the 7th, Omanauthorities evacuated tens of thousands of residents and closed the major port of Sohar as Cyclone Gonu, the Arabian Peninsula's strongest storm in 60 years, roared toward the Strait of Hormuz, the world's major transport artery for Persian Gulf oil. Maximum sustained winds of 90 mph with gusts to 105 mph churned up ocean waves as high as 35 feet. A few days prior to landfall, Gonu had intensified to a powerful super cyclonic storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. 2008 Strong thunderstorms pushed across southeast Illinois during the early morning, producing widespread rainfall of 3 to 7 inches. The highest total of 9.10 inches occurred south of Martinsville, in Clark County. Nearly 100 homes in the county were damaged from the resulting flash flooding, and every county road as well as portions of I-70 was closed due to high water. A line of severe thunderstorms developed across central Indiana and expanded northeastward into northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. An EF1 tornado hit Marion County, while thunderstorms producing wind gusts in excess of 60 mph created widespread wind damage across Wells and Adams counties in Indiana, and Van Wert County in Ohio. 2009 Severe storms in northeast Italy spawned a tornado in the town of Treviso which ripped off roofs and left 20 people injured. 2010 Tornadoes and thunderstorms tore through the Midwest USA, killing at least seven people in Ohio and triggering the automatic shutdown of a nuclear power plant in Michigan. In northwest Ohio, seven people were confirmed dead in mostly rural Lake Township south of Toledo. Tornadoes destroyed dozens of homes and heavily damaged the police headquarters and high school. "Windows were blown out of the buildings, buses overturned, the police department lost all of their vehicles except the ones that were occupied by officers," said a police spokesman in a neighboring township where calls were rerouted. Severe storms caused the automatic shutdown of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant on the shore of Lake Erie in southeast Michigan after a key area of the plant lost its power feed. Tornadoes also touched down in several locations in central Illinois around Peoria, with reports of dozens of injuries and damaged buildings. Thousands of firefighters and soldiers are strengthening dykes that are crumbling in a second wave of massive flooding in southern Poland following weeks of torrential rains. Some 3,000 people have been evacuated from eight villages after the Vistula River spilled over near Szczucin, where massive flooding first hit in May. The Vistula was also inundating the streets and house in a part of Sandomierz, after dykes repaired after the May flooding, succumbed under new flood wave. Some villages were cut off and relying on army helicopters to drop supplies after parts of roads were washed away. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 7th: 1816 In Danville, VT snow and sleet drifted to a depth of 20 inches. The higher elevations remained white the entire day. Snow flurries were reported as far south as Boston, MA. Waltham, MA reported a low temperature of 33° and New Haven, CT had a low of 35°. Parts of Upstate New York received up to 3 inches of snow. Thus began “the year without a summer”. 1885 A severe thunderstorm dropped hail up to 4 inches in diameter and spawned a tornado at Parkhill/St. Thomas, Ontario Canada. Homes and orchards were damaged. 1907 A violent tornado moved across Washington County, from near Covington to New Minden, IL. Near the tornado's endpoint, 4 people were killed while running to their storm cellar. Another violent tornado in southern Clark County destroyed or damaged every building in Old York. The tornado tracked for 15 miles, crossing into Indiana. 1908 An F3 tornado touched down in Hillsboro, WI and then moved northeast to just southeast of Mauston, WI. About 4 miles south of Mauston, the tornado killed a farmer and his son as they ran for their storm cellar. Another F3 tornado tracked northeast from 9 miles northwest of Charles City, IA to two miles northeast of Charles City. It left only the floor boards on a small farm house about 5 miles northwest of Charles City. In the east part of Charles City, 5 homes were destroyed and 20 others were severely damaged. A man was killed by a falling chimney and 10 others were injured. About 200 buildings were damaged. 1953 An F4 tornado near Arcadia, NE killed 11 people, beginning a 3-day stretch of killer tornadoes that spread into the eastern U.S. Scottsbluff, NE received its greatest daily precipitation on record when 3.18 inches of rain deluged the city. 1972 Richmond, VAexperienced its worst flood on record as rains from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes pushed the water level at the city to a height of 36.5 feet, easily topping the previous record of 30 feet set in 1771. A thunderstorm dropped 1.09” at MeadowsFieldin45minutesmakingit thewettestdayeverinJuneatBakersfield, CA. The thunderstorm produced wind guststo50mph,washedoutsectionsofa highwayanddamaged automobiles and buildings. One person was killed. There was one report of 3.50 inchesofraininanhourinonepartofthecity. 1980 Thunderstorms caused downed trees and power lines as well as street flooding all across western New York State. A wind gust of 79 mph was observed at greater Buffalo International Airport. Golf ball sized hail was reported north and east of the city. A rare flash of St. Elmo's fire knocked out the Weather Service's radar and telephone lines for about 10 minutes as the storm passed. Air controllers at the Buffalo Airport said the control tower received a direct lightning strike that blackened out the air control computer for a short period. 1983 Miami, FL dropped to an overnight low temperature of 80° which set a new record for the highest minimum temperature at that location. 1984 42 tornadoes touched down in the Upper Midwest with 21 of them occurring in Iowa. An F4 tornado tracked 30 miles through Mahaska and Keokuk Counties in Iowa, killing two people and injuring 51 others. The small town of Wright was practically wiped out. Barneveld, WI was devastated shortly before midnight as an F5 tornado chewed up the town. 90% of the town was damaged or destroyed, nine people were killed, and 197 were injured. 1987 Thunderstorms in the Laramie Mountains of eastern Wyoming produced golf ball size hail and up to 5 inches of rain in just one hour. Several cities in the Upper Mississippi Valley reported record high temperatures for the date, including La Crosse WI with a reading of 97°. 1988 Many cities in the central and eastern U.S. reported record high temperatures for the date, including Miles City, MT with a high of 106° and Rapid City, SDwith a reading of 104°. Snow whitened some of the mountains of northern California and northwestern Nevada. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from southern Oklahoma and eastern Texas to northwestern Florida through the day and night. Thunderstorms spawned 22 tornadoes, including a dozen in Louisiana, and there were 119 reports of large hail or damaging winds. A strong F2 tornado at Gross Tete, LA killed two people, injured 30 others. Another strong F2 tornado injured 60 people at Lobdell, LA. Softball size hail was reported at Hillsboro, TX. In Southwest Kansas, heavy rains of 3 to 5 inches fell across Grant County, producing flash flooding across the area. Many roads were washed out and extensive crop damage was reported. The town of Ulysses received widespread flooding. A Suriname Airways DC-8 crashed into the jungle during its third attempt to land in a thick fog which shrouded the Paramaribo, Suriname airport in South America. 15 of the 183 on board the aircraft survived. 1993 Strong low pressure developed over the Rockies and moved into the plains. Thunderstorms erupted over western Iowa, with many producing hail. There were numerous reports of hail damage to vehicles. Damage at one car dealership in Carroll was estimated at $250,000 dollars and another at Estherville had $100,000 dollars in damage. Some of the storms also produced strong straight-line winds. At Arnolds Park, 65 mph winds lifted boats from their moorings. Several tornadoes were spawned by the storms. The strongest tornado was in Lyon and Osceola Counties where it was on the ground for 10 miles. Most of its path was in open country but Sibley did get hit. In Sibley, one roof was taken off of a house and a high school bus barn was severely damaged causing about $150,000 dollars in damage. A huge tornado touched down in northwest Minnehaha County in South Dakota and cut a swath of destruction 55 miles long and one half mile wide. The tornado moved from northwest Minnehaha County through western Moody County and into eastern Brookings County. Most structures within the path of the tornado were little match for the storm which packed winds estimated between 210 and 260 mph. Numerous farms and residences were destroyed and trees snapped off or uprooted. The tornado developed around 4:30 in the afternoon and shortly after touching down leveled two houses. It caused destruction on, at least, 10 farms before entering the east side of Colman at 5:00 pm. At least 15 homes in Colman were damaged resulting in $250,000 dollars in damage mainly due to roofs being blown off. The tornado stayed on the ground until it passed northeast of Brookings. The tornado was one of over two dozen tornadoes that touched down in southeast and east central South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa during this outbreak. One tornado struck the town of Tracy in southwest Minnesota and although the tornado was relatively small it was sufficient to severely damage 17 mobile homes and the local high school. Parts of the Chicago, IL metropolitan area were flooded after thunderstorms produced 2 to 5 inches of rain in a 3-hour period. This type of a rainstorm in that area has an average occurrence rate of once every 30-60 years. Over the period of a day, up to 6.50 inches of rain fell, producing one of greater floods noted in that area. The deep tunnel flood control system under the south side of Chicago which holds 185 million gallons of water was filled. 1998 The forecast for tonight: Sunny and warm at Barrow, AK on the Arctic Ocean when the late spring and early summer brings all night sunshine. On this date, the high temperature rose to a record 51° with a gusty land breeze. 2005 The temperature at the Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, England outside of the town of Benson recorded their lowest June temperature ever of 32°. 2007 Oman authorities evacuate tens of thousands of residents and close the major port of Sohar as Cyclone Gonu, the Arabian Peninsula's strongest storm in 60 years, roared toward the Strait of Hormuz; the world's major transport artery for Persian Gulf oil. Maximum sustained winds of 90 mph with gusts to 105 mph churned up ocean waves as high as 35 feet. On June 5th, Gonu had intensified to a powerful super cyclonic storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. 2008 On this date through the 9th, New York City set record high temperatures for three days: 96°, 96° and 99° respectively. A single supercell thunderstorm developed over western Illinois and moved east to the Indiana border, producing 8 different tornadoes along its path, including some of the southern Chicago suburbs. Four of the tornadoes were rated EF2 in strength. 2009 In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Marquette established a record low high with a chilly 50°. Snow fell briefly at the Billings airport in Montana, without any accumulation. The high temperature was only 47°. Burgess Junction, MT received 9 inches of snow while Red Lodge, MT had 4 inches. 2010 Strong wind and rain killed 10 people, damaged property and flooded homes in southern Pakistan in the last 24 hours, but the disaster Cyclone Phet threatened to bring was averted. "The death toll has gone up to 10. Seven died in Karachi and three were killed in Hyderabad," Sindh province's health minister said. Property was damaged in the towns of Thatta and Badin, and a small building collapsed in Karachi. Cyclone Phet turned into a low depression after making landfall in Thatta and Badin, and moved towards Rajasthan in India. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 8th: 1885 A killing frost occurred at Fargo, ND. This date remains the latest on record. 1918 Residents in Oklahoma who were in the right place at the right time, were treated to a rare spectacle, a total eclipse of the sun. The narrow path of totality extended roughly from near Alva, to Enid, to Henryetta, to Poteau, with Oklahoma City and Tulsa being near the south and north edges of the path. Totality lasted about a minute in Oklahoma. This was the last total solar eclipse to be visible from anywhere in the Oklahoma and north Texas area. Local residents who do not want to travel very far to see one, will have to wait until April 8, 2024, for the next one in this area. 1920 Yosemite Valley, CA plunged to 14°; their coldest June temperature on record. 1950 Two inches of snow fell at Billings, MT. This is their latest measurable snowfall on record. The high for the day was only 42°, a record low maximum. 1951 Two tornadoes, one rated F4 and the other F2, were caught on 16mm film at Corn, OK. This was the first film ever taken of a tornado in the U.S. 1953 The worst tornado in Michigan's history struck the city of Flint. The F5 tornado was part of the worst weather system to affect the United States in the deadly year of 1953. The next day, the same storm system would produce another deadly tornado that would devastate Worcester, MA. The Flint tornado was one half mile wide and killed 116 people, the last single tornado to kill more than 100 people in the United States. 1957 A tropical storm moved in from the Gulf of Mexico and crossed northwest Florida, spawning a tornado outbreak and flooding rainfall. Five people drown in the Gulf of Mexico when a small fishing vessel capsized in high seas. A shrimp boat was sunk off Ft. Myers, and several other boats were driven ashore south of Tampa. At least 9 Tornadoes were reported in Alachua, Marion, Clay, Putnam, and Duval counties (Jacksonville area). Tornadoes damaged roofs and uprooted trees. Heavy rains of up to 19" in 48 hours caused much local flooding and considerable agricultural damage, closed many roads and washed out several small bridges. Two hundred people were evacuated from flooded residential areas in Taylor County. 1964 In Montana, the Gibson Dam, which feeds the Sun River, overflowed. The result was 34 deaths due to drowning. 1966 Legend said that Burnett's Mound would always protect the city of Topeka, KS from tornadoes. That legend was debunked when an F5 tornado destroyed a large part of Topeka. 820 homes were destroyed and 16 people killed. The twister passed directly over Burnett's Mound. It was the first tornado to produce $100 million in damage. Television station WIBW covered a tornado live, dispatching crews to the southwest of Topeka, KS when the tornado warning was issued. Newscaster Bill Kurtis would be lauded for sounding the alarm with urgent warnings as the tornado cut a path across the city. The death toll would certainly have been higher without the station's coverage. Alma, the second earliest hurricane on record to cross the Florida coastline, moved northward out of the Caribbean Sea and through the Gulf of Mexico from 20 to 60 miles off the west coast before making landfall near Alligator Point on the afternoon of the 9th. Highest winds of 125 mph and lowest pressure, 28.65 inHg, were reported at Dry Tortugas on the afternoon of the 8th. Sustained winds remained below hurricane force at all reporting stations in Florida except in a small area around Alligator Point where winds were estimated between 75 and 90 mph. Storm tides along the Gulf Coast ranged from two to 3 feet above normal in the Keys to 7 to 10 feet above normal between about New Port Richey and St. Marks. Part of the fishing village of Cedar Key was inundated by rising tides and wave action. Rainfall ranged from 2-4 inches on the southwest peninsula and north of Lake Okeechobee to 5-8 inches in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. There was no serious flooding from rainfall in the state. Principal damages were downed utility lines, beach erosion and salt water flooding. Agriculture sustained some damage, notably the late season vegetables in the central Gulf coast counties and the tobacco crop, both fine cured and shade grown, in north Florida. There were four tornadoes reported in the state; two in Dade County and two in the Marianna area. Four other tornado-like storms were reported; three in the Sarasota area between 1030 and l100 pm on the 8th and one near Jacksonville on the afternoon of the 9th. Eight deaths were attributed to Alma. 1974 Severe thunderstorms spawned up to 26 tornadoes in Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours. One of the tornadoes struck the town Drumright killing 16 people and injuring 150 others. Thunderstorms in Tulsa also produced as much as 10 inches of rain. Overall, 26 twisters were reported, 22 in Oklahoma and four in Kansas.Total damage from the storms was around $30 million dollars. It was the worst natural disaster of record for Tulsa. The NWS office at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City was damaged by the storm. Two F3 tornadoes ravaged the city of Tulsa. A late spring storm dumped 1.79 inches of rain at Denver, CO causing local flooding. Strong gusty winds of over 55 mph accompanied the storm downing some trees and power lines. There was also a trace of snow reported at the airport with snow reported in the suburbs south of Denver. Some people were stranded in the mountains west of Denver. Denver tied a record low of 37° and a record low maximum of 50°. 1977 A hailstorm covered the ground across a swath up to 7 miles wide and 80 miles long in southeastern Wisconsin. Snowplows had to be called out to clear the roads. High winds and hail struck northeastern Illinois during the afternoon. Winds of 60 mph and large hail caused the tower at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to be abandoned for the first time in its history. It was a chilly morning across pasts of the Blue Ridge in Virginia. Naked Creek & Luray, VA dropped to 31° and Dulles Airport dropped to 36°. 1981 Severe thunderstorms in northeast and central Illinois produced hail the size of grapefruits at Kankakee. One tornado traveled along a 77 mile intermittent path from Brooklyn, in Schuyler County, east-southeastward to near Springfield. A second tornado was on the ground intermittently for 80 miles, originating southeast of Pekin and traveling to Mahomet, northwest of Champaign. Minor damage resulted from both tornadoes. 1982 Violent early morning thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 80 mph which caused considerable structural damage and power outages in Topeka, KS and Kansas City, MO. In Callaway County, MO a severe thunderstorm dropped hail that measured up to 4 inches in diameter. Severe winds reached 100 mph in Randolph county, MO. 1983 Record cold prevailed across parts of Michigan. Sault St. Marie dropped to 28° and Alpena fell to 30°; both establishing record lows for the date. 1985 An F3 tornado tracked 68 miles through Price and Oneida Counties in Wisconsin. Two people were killed and 42 were injured. Damage was set at $6 million dollars. Huge hailstones, up to 6 inches in diameter, accompanied the tornado. The high of 110°tied the all-time high at Garden City, KS while Osage, IA set their all-time June record with 101°. 1987 Thunderstorms in the northeastern U.S. produced large hail and damaging winds in Vermont injuring two persons. Thunderstorms in Ohio produced wind gusts to 75 mph near Akron, and deluged Pittsfield with two inches of rain in 30 minutes. Torrential rains produced extensive flooding across Denver, CO. Lightning hit a power plant in Denver that supplied electricity to storm drain pumps which exacerbated flooding in some areas. Up to 2 inches of rain fell in many areas. Lakewood, CO received 2.25 inches in about two hours and 1.62 inches of rain fell in just one hour at the airport. 1988 Overnight thunderstorms in Iowa produced 5.20 inches of rain at Coon Rapids. Thunderstorms in the Florida Keys drenched Tavernier with 7.16 inches of rain in 24 hours. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather over the Central Gulf Coast Region during the day and evening. Severe thunderstorms spawned 17 tornadoes, including one which injured 10 people and caused a million dollars damage at Orange Beach, AL. Thunderstorm winds gusting to 90 mph killed three people and injured four others at Mobile, AL. Thunderstorms also deluged Walnut Hill, FL and Avalon Beach, FL with 8 inches of rain. 8 tornadoes struck southeastern Louisiana during the early morning hours. A strong F2 tornado hit Baton Rouge and damaged 60 homes and 35 mobile homes. 60 people were injured. A tornado destroyed or damaged 27 homes, trailers and businesses, and a dozen vehicles and boats at Apalachicola Bay, FL. 60 acres of trees were destroyed. Three people in a frame house were killed when thrown 500 feet. 1991 Two-day total rainfall topped 30 inches at Bombay, India. This was the heaviest in four decades. 1993 Severe thunderstorms moved across northern and central Illinois during the early evening hours. The storms produced winds near 70 mph south of Springfield and west of Pawnee. A small tornado developed from the system and moved through Illiopolis, damaging over 5 dozen buildings. Other tornadoes touched down near Decatur and Champaign. An F2 tornado struck four farmsteads, damaging one severely, just southeast of Osage, IA. Several small out buildings and barns were damaged but the farm houses were spared. Two F0 tornadoes touched down in Olmsted County, MN in Dover and Pleasant Grove, three F0 tornadoes in Mower County, Minnesota in Dexter and just south of Leroy and Grand Meadow, and an F0 tornado touched down ten miles south of Spring Valley. On this same date, 18 other tornadoes touched down in Wisconsin. Prairie du Chien, WI had 3.22 inches of rain. 1995 Classic supercell thunderstorms spawned 21 tornadoes in the north Texas Panhandle. 5 of the tornadoes were rated F4 on the Fujita scale, one which tracked through the center of Pampa injuring 7 people and causing $30 million in damages. The Project Vortex team (20 vehicles, including a state of the art truck-mounted Doppler Radar, and two P3 aircrafts) were all over the storms, collecting an incredible storm dynamics, structure, and environment data set, on the last day of the two year funded project no less. The team witnessed one of the F4 tornadoes near Allison, and said it was one of biggest and meanest appearing tornadoes they had ever seen. At Crane, TX, four inch diameter hail fell for 10 minutes. 1997 A 16 year old male received an indirect lightning strike. He was taken to Ward Memorial Hospital at Monahans, MS and transferred to Odessa Medical Center for testing, and was released late that night. The boy and his mother were walking across their porch leaving the house when lightning struck a metal pipe along the side of the house. The boy was struck in the head by a glancing blow from the bolt, knocked to the ground, but sustained no burns. He was dazed but never lost consciousness; said he remembered feeling the shock as the bolt went through his body. They said the lightning came seemingly from nowhere as all the previous thunder had seemed quite distant. Light rain was falling at the time of the incident. 2004 Heavy rain and large hail caused flooding and flash flooding in parts of Colorado. In Golden, heavy rains triggered a small mudslide. Automated rain gauges measured 2 to 3 inches of rain in an hour. Numerous streets were inundated with 1 to 3 feet of water and hail. Many windows in home and auto were shattered by the large hail. 2007 The temperature at Denver International Airport plummeted to 31° to set a new record low for the date. It also became their latest freeze on record. 2008 After heavy rains and severe weather the previous day, a lingering warm front across upper Midwest lead to further storm development on this date, resulting in more heavy rains. This rainfall exasperated the already dangerous flooding conditions across parts of southeast Minnesota, northeast Iowa, and southwest into central Wisconsin ¦resulting in a flood of historic proportions. Many roads were already closed from the previous days rain due to water over the roadways, mudslides, or partial washouts. Rains on this date worsened the conditions, leading to more road closures, sandbagging, and some evacuations. Some area rivers responded with a foot per hour rises, while others eventually exceeded their river gauges ability to record the river levels. These gauges were under water themselves. All-time record crests were set at a few locations, with top five records at many others. A listing of some of the record crests with all-time rank, at the time of this event: Upper Iowa River at Dorchester 22.5 feet (all-time record) and Decorah 17.9 feet (all-time record), The Turkey River at Elkader 30.9 feet (all-time record), El Dorado 22.11 feet (all-time record), and Garber 29.13 feet (4th highest on record), The Cedar River at Charles City 25.55 feet (all-time record), The Kickapoo River at La Farge 15.88 feet (all-time record), Viola 21.25 feet (all-time record), Readstown 19.65 feet (all-time record), Soldiers Grove 21.21 feet (2nd highest on record), Gays Mills 20.44 feet (all-time record), and Steuben 19.15 feet (all-time record). Two-day rainfall amounts totaled from generally from 4 to 7 inches. 2009 Vostok, Antarctica shivered with a late spring low of -108°. 2010 A flash flood swept away a municipal worker helping in evacuation efforts in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul. Heavy rains, which have been pounding the city since the weekend, caused a river on the city's Asian side to burst its banks, inundating dozens of houses. At least 12 people have died and five are missing after a packed ferry capsized in storms in north-east Bangladesh. The ferry was carrying about 35 passengers including many school children. The accident took place in Sunamganj district, 87 miles north of Dhaka. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 9th: On average, this is the first day Las Vegas, NV reaches 105°. 1953 An F4 tornado hit the town of Worcester, MA killing 90 people. The northeastern states usually remain free of destructive tornadoes, however in this case a low pressure system, responsible for producing severe thunderstorms in Michigan and Ohio the previous day, brought severe weather to New Hampshire and central Massachusetts. The tornado, up to a mile in width at times, tracked 46 miles through Worcester County. Winds are estimated to have reached 250 mph at Holden, MA. 4,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged and 10,000 people left homeless. At the time it was the most costly tornado in U.S. history with over $53 million dollars in damage. Debris from the tornado fell in Boston. 1955 April-like temperatures persisted at Wichita Falls, TX. Morning low temperatures each day from the 9th through the 12th fell into the low to mid 50s, as much as 20 degrees below normal. These temperatures of 56°, 51°, 52°, and 55° respectively, remain record lows for their dates. Las Vegas, NV recorded a high temperature of 111°, setting a daily record. 1966 Hurricane Alma made landfall over the eastern Florida panhandle becoming the earliest hurricane to make landfall on the United States mainland. 1971 The tornado that struck the town of Gruver in the Texas Panhandle on this date is believed to be the widest tornado in U.S. history with an average path width of 2,500 yards. At times, the monster storm was over two miles wide. 1972 On this date through the 10th marks the anniversary of one of the most tragic weather events ever to occur in the United States. Heavy rains of up to 14 inches fell along the eastern slopes of the northern Black Hills in South Dakota causing extensive and devastating flooding. Many areas received amounts in excess of 6 inches of rain in less than four hours. Most of the damage occurred at Rapid City, SD, but other areas along creeks on the eastern slopes of the Hills also received record flooding. The damage was compounded by the collapse of the Canyon Lake Dam which is located just above Rapid City and sent a wall of water crashing through the city. The floods took a huge toll on human life as 242 people perished in the waters and 2,932 people were injured. There were 750 homes destroyed with major damage to an additional 2,200 homes, and minor damage to another 3,100 homes. 1,000 to 2,000 cars were damaged by the waters. All told 6,750 families suffered losses. Damage from the floods totaled $165 million dollars. Now Canyon Lake is dammed once again and the flood plain is a series of parks, golf courses and bike paths, which should minimize damage from future floods. The 1970s were the worst decade for flash floods in U.S. history. Devastating floods struck Buffalo Creek, WV (125 fatalities); Rapid City, SD (238 fatalities); Big Thompson Canyon, CO (145 fatalities); Johnstown, PA (76 fatalities); and Kansas City, MO (23 fatalities). Flash floods killed an average of 127 people each year in the United States between 1972 and 2001. Improvements in forecasting and warning have been effective in reducing the death toll. No single flash flood has killed more than 100 people since 1980 and the 10-year average annual death toll has dropped to 88. 1974 This was the start of the shortest seasonal snow free period on record at Denver, CO. The 94 days began with the last snow of the season was on the previous day (a trace) and the first snow of the next season occurred on September 11th (a trace). 1975 Thunderstorms that developed over the Springfield, MO. area dropped 3.62 inches of rainfall in one hour. This was the greatest hourly rainfall rate recorded for Springfield. 1984 Perhaps Russia's most deadly tornado outbreak struck a region 150-200 miles north and northeast of Moscow, Russia. At least 400 were killed in the towns of Ivanova, Gorki, Kalinin, Kostroma and Yaroslav. 1985 Sacramento, CA came under the grip of a heat wave, which, before it released its grip, would provide 8 consecutive days; from this date through the 16th with temperatures above 100 degrees. Within this period, 6 consecutive days had high temperatures of 105 degrees or greater. Fresno, CA had 11 consecutive days of triple digit heat starting on this date. This is the longest such stretch on record in June. Record heat also occurred across the upper Midwest. Preston, MN hit 100° and Caledonia, MN hit 97°; both records for June. 1987 Lightning struck "Tire Mountain" near Denver, CO, destroying two million tires out of a huge pile of six million tires. Thunderstorms spawned three tornadoes around Denver, and a man was killed at Conifer, CO when strong thunderstorm winds lifted up a porch and dropped it on him. Severe thunderstorms rumbled over Maryland-Virginia area, causing damage from wind, hail, and lightning. 20 barns were destroyed and several mobile homes were damaged. Five people received injuries. Lightning struck several times at Wallops Island, VA, igniting three small NASA rockets, causing them to be accidentally launched. 1988 Thunderstorms produced severe weather from North Carolina to the Central Gulf Coast Region. Hail in North Carolina caused more than $5 million dollars damage to property, and more than $60 million dollars damage to crops. Hail 3.5 inches in diameter was reported at New Bern, NC. Thunderstorms in the Central High Plains produced 18 inches of hail at Fountain, CO. The temperature at Del Rio, TX soared to an all-time record high of 112°. 1989 This tornado did not stop to pay the toll. After causing some damage at Philadelphia, PA, it crossed the Delaware River, passing over part of the Ben Franklin Bridge. It did not damage the bridge, but did drop a lot of debris on it. An F2 tornado destroyed 6 well-built houses and a school gym at Hockessin, DE. 52 other homes were damaged. Thunderstorms and heavy downpours dropped a record 3.01 inches of rain at the Buffalo Airport in New York. Rainfall amounts from 3 to 4 inches were reported in Amherst, Milton FL was deluged with 15.47 inches of rain in 24 hours. Record heat and prolonged drought in south central Texas left salt deposits on power lines and insulators near the coast, and when nighttime dew caused arcing, the city of Brownsville was plunged into darkness. 1990 0.38 of an inch of rain fell on this date in San Diego, CA in just 30 minutes, which might not sound like much. But in the dry season, it was enough to shatter the old 24-hour rainfall record. Other rainfall totals in San Diego County included: 1.41 inches at Mt. Laguna, 0.98 inches at Escondido and 0.87 inches at Fallbrook. The rare precipitation was the result of dying Hurricane Boris. 1991 A tornado struck the town of Minatare, NE,just southeast of Scottsbluff. 20 homes were destroyed with 30 others damaged along its 4 mile track. Damage estimates exceeded $2.5 million dollars. 1993 Lightning struck a USAir Boeing 737 parked overnight at the Buffalo International Airport in New York. The lightning traveled through the plane to the runway and exploded the concrete runway at the three points of the landing gear. The flying concrete debris caused damage to the fuselage and winds of the plane. The 737 had to be ferried out for repairs. In addition to the damage to the plane and runway, power generators connected to the plane overnight were shorted and blown out. 2002 Red flag alerts were in effect in southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains for extreme fire danger conditions as 30 mph winds, low relative humidity and tinder dry woodlands were waiting to explode. It was the worst drought in Colorado's recorded weather history. A single spark from an unknown source ignited a large, fast moving fire on Missionary Ridge northeast of Durango, CO on this date. The fire quickly roared out of control and would go on to become the second largest wildfire in Colorado history, burning 73,145 acres. 2003 Hundreds of swimmers ignored red flags warning not to go into the water along the Florida Panhandle as strong thunderstorms caused very rough water and severe rip currents. At least 9 people died and 3 others were hospitalized. 2004 A massive hailstorm with hailstones up to 2.25 inches in diameter struck the south sections of the Denver, CO metropolitan area. Combined damage to homes and automobiles, not including commercial buildings, was estimated at $146.5 million dollars, the 4th costliest insurance disaster in the state's history. A line of intense thunderstorms marched through Gananoque in southern Ontario, Canada with strong downburst winds and a confirmed F1 tornado. Near Gananoque, a downburst sent a tree onto a home, killing a man standing on his front porch. 2005 A series of thunderstorms dropped between 4 to 5 inches of rain at Barrie, Ontario Canada bringing waist-deep flash flooding, and hail the size of pennies. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 10th: 1752 This is believed to be the date that Ben Franklin did his famous kite experiment during a thunderstorm to determine if lightning and electricity were related. Luckily, he lived to tell of the results. 1816 A severe frost blackened fields of beans and cucumbers from Virginia to New England. In some areas in New England, trees remained leafless well into June due to the long and cold spring. Four days of snowfall piled up to 12 inches deep at Quebec City, Quebec. This was the beginning of the “Year Without a Summer”. 1880 A tornado 660 feet in width leveled everything in its path at Listowel, Ontario Canada. It lifted a man and carried him. He saved himself by grabbing a bridge as he passed. 1902 A tornado touched down a few miles east of Canton and moved through Kingston Mines, IL. Two people were killed near Canton, but much of the damage occurred in the Kingston Mines area, where 16 homes were destroyed. 20 men and 18 engines were buried in the roundhouse there. Eight people were killed further east, when buildings were destroyed by strong winds. 1929 The first radiosonde was sent up by French Meteorologists. 1957 A dust devil at North Yarmouth, ME lifted a 600 to 1000 pound chicken shelter into the air and carried it 25 feet. It landed upright with only slight damage. It is unknown whether any eggs were scrambled. 1958 A woman was sucked through the window of her home in El Dorado, KS by a powerful tornado, and was carried 60 feet away. Beside her was found a broken phonograph record entitled "Stormy Weather". 1967 Severe thunderstorms raked across northern Illinois bringing heavy rain, strong winds and hail. Many homes reported disrupted power and telephone service. One person was killed by lightning and another was electrocuted in his flooded basement. Heavy rains brought widespread flooding to the northwest suburbs where the water was four feet deep in places. Chicago, IL ended up with 2.94 inches of rain while Rockford, IL had 3.32 inches, both setting daily records. A tornado touched down in rural areas near Hammon, OK. A woman and four children were killed on a farmstead several miles east of Hammon. The storm was accompanied by hail 3 to 4 inches in diameter. Total damage from the tornado and the hail was over a quarter million dollars. The tornado was one of at least a dozen that occurred across western and central Oklahoma on this day. 3.40 inches of rain fell in just one hour at Fergus, Ontario Canada. 1972 Record chill invaded parts of the upper Midwest. Locations that reported record low June temperatures for the date included: Jump River, WI: 23°, Blair, WI: 28°, Owen, WI: 28°, Alma, WI: 38°, Genoa, WI: 38°, Trempealeau, WI: 38° and Lynxville, WI: 40°. 1976 Palm Springs, CA dropped to 44° establishing their lowest temperature for June. 1977 A short-lived, but intense, thunderstorm did tremendous damage at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, SD. The storm which lasted for one-half hour produced large amounts of hail up to walnut size. The storm broke over 2,000 windows at Ellsworth AFB, as well as, damaging many vehicles. 1981 The high of 114° tied the all-time high at Liberal, KS. 1986 Severe thunderstorms struck much of western north Texas. The Wichita Falls area was hardest hit, as winds more than 80 mph combined with one-inch hail, and caused extensive damage in the city. Torrential rain, up to nearly five inches in some places, caused both Holliday and McGrath Creeks to flood. Thunderstorms brought over two inches of rain to much of the central part of the Nebraska panhandle, with Kimball recording 2.52 inches. 1987 Thunderstorms produced 2 to 4 inch rains in southern Texas. 2.5 inches of rain at Juno, TX caused flooding and closed a nearby highway. Flooding on the northwest side of San Antonio claimed one life as a boy was swept into a culvert. Thunderstorms in the north central U.S. produced 1.5 inches of small hail at Monida Pass, MT. 1988 Many cities, mostly in the eastern U.S., reported record low temperatures for the date, including Elkins, WV with a reading of 33°. Unseasonably hot weather continued in the Northern Plains Region. The record high of 105°at Williston, ND was their seventh in eight days. 1989 Thunderstorms produced severe weather through the day and night across much of the southern half of the Great Plains Region. Thunderstorms spawned 14 tornadoes, and there were 142 reports of large hail and damaging winds. Hail three inches in diameter caused $3 million dollars damage at Carlsbad, NM. Hail four inches in diameter was reported at Estelline and Stinnett, TX. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 80 mph at Odessa, TX. 1990 0.82 inches of rain was recorded at McCarran International Airport at Las Vegas, NV. This was the greatest official rainfall amount recorded in Las Vegas in June. A 25-year-old woman drowned after her car is swept into a flood channel, and a 19-year-old man drowned in Green Valley, where he was swept into a manhole during a storm that dropped 1.57 inches of rain in an hour. 1995 The temperature at Yakutat, AK soared to 87°, their hottest temperature ever. 1997 Many cars were afloat during the early morning hours in the southern suburbs of Miami, FL. Many intersections were covered by two feet of water and water was waist deep in other locations. Rainfall amounts included: 9.83 inches at Homestead, FL and 6.99 inches at the Tamiami Airport. Flash Flooding occurred in many locations in Mississippi. In Monticello, many roads were flooded. One road has as much as two and a half feet of water over it. Several streets in West Jackson were under water. Highway 80 and many other streets were flooded in and around Vicksburg. Six homes were flooded in Canton. Many roads and streets were flooded. One person’s car was engulfed by water, but the person was rescued. This event caused $300,000 dollars in property damages. Over 6 inches of rain fell in Lexington in a little over 3 hours. The heavy rain caused Bear creek to over flow and flood much of the town of Lexington. 45 businesses were affected by the flooding and 30 of these suffered major losses. As many as 300 homes had water damage. This event caused $10 million dollars in property damages. Portions of Jones County experienced flash flooding as 3 inches of rain fell in just 1.5 hours over saturated ground. 2002 Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a hanger at the Dodge City, KS airport. A wind gust to 96 mph was recorded by a backup wind system. 2003 When the second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed about 1,200 miles east of the Leeward Islands, it marked only the third time since 1967 that a on had formed in the eastern Atlantic in the month of June. A tornado raced through the village of Acht, Germany causing extensive damage to buildings and trees. 2004 A rare tornado tore across Leyte and Samar islands in the Central Philippines destroying 900 homes and killing at least two people. A dozen residents of the coastal town of Dulag on Leyte Island were reported missing. 2008 Runoff from excessive rainfall over the previous week led to record flooding along the Embarras River at Ste Marie and Lawrenceville, IL. A number of levee breeches occurred between the 8th and 10th along the Embarras and Wabash Rivers. In Lawrence County, 75 square miles were flooded as a result. In Lawrenceville, 158 homes were flooded in the first floor living area, with 48 others having basement flooding, and 8 businesses had in excess of 5 feet of water inside. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------