20 Year Anniversary of the November 10, 2002 Tornado Outbreak

[MichelleH]

Twenty years ago tomorrow night will be the anniversary of the "Veteran's Day Outbreak" of November 10, 2002. It's also my TalkWeather 20th anniversary this week as well, because 20 years ago I found TW looking for information about the upcoming severe weather threat. That is a night that will forever be in my memories. I remember my entire family crouching in the hallway under couch cushions and pillows as a tornado tore through Good Hope and we weren't sure if we were next. (This was the Saragossa tornado of Walker and Cullman Counties.) I remember a police car flying down the strip between our neighborhood and the apartments behind us making every sort of noise possible to warn people and the look of fear on my grandfather's face as all four of us adults made a shield around my then nine-year-old son. We were spared that night, but my heart broke for those who weren't, especially my cousin and his wife who lost their home, but thankfully, not their lives. What are your memories of that night?

 

[buckeye05]

Hoooo boy I remember this evening. I happened to be in northern Ohio on a trip with my family (just my luck, like the time I had a flight layover in Nashville on the night March 2, 2021 but that's a whole other story). I will never forget the bizarre dark yellowish-brown clouds racing by the hotel window and seeing the flag poles bend over in the wind. We didn't have any tornadoes in our immediate vicinity, but there were several strong ones in surrounding areas. The next morning, I also remember seeing the news showing images of the cars thrown onto the rows of seats at that movie theater which was destroyed by the Van Wert, OH F4. Definitely one of the most significant and memorable late season outbreaks imo.

 

[Taylor Campbell]

The Ohio threat (especially the northern half) didn’t behave like a slight risk. In today’s time, there may have been an enhanced risk in place there, but that still would have been underdone. A moderate and high risk were added into the state on the last outlook and after the worst storms.

 

[Lake Martin EF4]

(This was the Saragossa tornado of Walker and Cullman Counties.

Ah yes, I've watched the ABC 33/40 coverage. Are there any photos of that or the Carbon Hill F3 that preceded it?

 

[JPWX]

The PDS Tornado Watch that was issued and a couple radar screenshots from Birmingham radar.

 

[TH2002]

Nice to see a dedicated thread for what was the first major tornado outbreak to occur during my lifetime. Obviously don't remember a single thing from when I was months old in 2002, but during the first part of the 2010's this became one of the outbreaks that boosted my (at the time) newfound interest in tornadoes and meteorology.

Over 10 years ago when I was in second or third grade, I picked up one of those tornado tubes from a school book fair (I still have it!) that also has some trivia printed on the side. Even back then, one of the tidbits I found the most interesting was "A tornado that hit Van Wert, Ohio in November of 2002 ripped the roof off a movie theater and tossed cars into the seats."

Well, I wouldn't say the tornado JUST ripped the roof off, but regardless, the claim is pretty accurate:

Some photos I've discovered more recently (much, MUCH more recently) that makes me believe Van Wert had F5 potential:
Extreme damage to industrial buildings in Van Vert, including a steel framed factory totally flattened/partially swept clean:




Home swept away:

Some other impressive shots, including scouring and debarking:

 

[buckeye05]

Nice to see a dedicated thread for what was the first major tornado outbreak to occur during my lifetime. Obviously don't remember a single thing from when I was months old in 2002, but during the first part of the 2010's this became one of the outbreaks that boosted my (at the time) newfound interest in tornadoes and meteorology.

Over 10 years ago when I was in second or third grade, I picked up one of those tornado tubes from a school book fair (I still have it!) that also has some trivia printed on the side. Even back then, one of the tidbits I found the most interesting was "A tornado that hit Van Wert, Ohio in November of 2002 ripped the roof off a movie theater and tossed cars into the seats."

Well, I wouldn't say the tornado JUST ripped the roof off, but regardless, the claim is pretty accurate:
View attachment 15449

Some photos I've discovered more recently (much, MUCH more recently) that makes me believe Van Wert had F5 potential:
Extreme damage to industrial buildings in Van Vert, including a steel framed factory totally flattened/partially swept clean:
View attachment 15450
View attachment 15451
View attachment 15452

Home swept away:

Some other impressive shots, including scouring and debarking:
View attachment 15453
View attachment 15456
View attachment 15457

To this day, I believe that this was the most violent Ohio tornado to occur in my life time so far. Much worse than Blue Ash, Xenia (2000), Millbury, or Dayton when it comes to damage intensity.