1990 Plainfield tornado
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | August 28, 1990 3:15 p.m. CDT |
| Dissipated | August 28, 1990 3:45 p.m. CDT |
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | >260 mph (419 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 29 |
| Injuries | 353 |
| Damage | $165 million $380 million (2024 USD) |
| Areas affected | Oswego, Plainfield, Crest Hill, and Joliet |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1990 | |
The 1990 Plainfield tornado was a devastating tornado that struck Plainfield, Illinois in the Chicago metropolitan area during the afternoon hours of Tuesday, August 28, 1990. The violent tornado killed 29 people and injured 353. It is the only F5/EF5 rated tornado ever officially recorded in August in the United States (the 1883 Rochester, Minnesota tornado is unofficially considered an F5), and the only F5 tornado to strike the Chicago area. There are no known videos or photographs of the tornado itself; however, in 2011, a video surfaced online showing the supercell that spawned the tornado. The Plainfield tornado was part of a small outbreak that produced several tornadoes in the Northern United States, specifically Kansas, and the Canadian province of Ontario.
The tornado was relatively abnormal, moving southeast instead of the conventional northeast motion of violent tornadoes. The event, as well as its poor warning time, drove advancements in radar technology and forecasting systems to adequately warn residents.