2015 Rochelle–Fairdale tornado

{{Short description|EF4 tornado in Illinois in 2015}}

{{Short description|EF4 tornado in Illinois in 2014}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}

{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}

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{{good article}}

| alt = An EF5 tornado approaches Fairdale

| alt = An EF5 tornado approaches Fairdale

| caption = A frame of the Clem Schultz footage, depicting the tornado approaching Fairdale at low-end EF4 intensity

| caption = A frame of the Clem Schultz footage, depicting the tornado approaching Fairdale at low-end EF4 intensity

| formed = April 9, 2015, 6:39 p.m. [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]]

| formed = April 9, 2014, 6:39 p.m. [[Central Daylight Time|CDT]]

| duration = 41 minutes

| duration = 41 minutes

| dissipated = April 9, 2015, 7:45 p.m. CDT

| dissipated = April 9, 2014, 7:45 p.m. CDT

}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado

}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado

| basin = atl

| basin = atl

| deaths = 2

| deaths = 2

| injuries = 22

| injuries = 22

| year = 2015

| year = 2014

| damages = $19 million (2015 [[USD]])<br />${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|19000000|2015}}}} ({{CURRENTYEAR}} [[USD]]){{inflation-fn|US}}

| damages = $19 million (2014 [[USD]])<br />${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|19000000|2015}}}} ({{CURRENTYEAR}} [[USD]]){{inflation-fn|US}}

| affected = [[Lee County, Illinois|Lee]], [[Ogle County, Illinois|Ogle]], [[DeKalb County, Illinois|DeKalb]], [[Boone County, Illinois|Boone Counties]], [[Illinois]]

| affected = [[Lee County, Illinois|Lee]], [[Ogle County, Illinois|Ogle]], [[DeKalb County, Illinois|DeKalb]], [[Boone County, Illinois|Boone Counties]], [[Illinois]]

}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer

}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer

| season = [[tornado outbreak of April 8–9, 2015]] and [[tornadoes of 2015]]

| season = [[tornado outbreak of April 8–9, 2014]] and [[tornadoes of 2015]]

}}

}}

Throughout the evening hours of April&nbsp;9, 2015, an extremely violent and long-lived multiple-vortex [[tornado]] tore through the communities near [[Rochelle, Illinois|Rochelle]] and in [[Fairdale, Illinois]]. Part of a larger severe weather event that impacted the [[Central United States]], the tornado first touched down in [[Lee County, Illinois|Lee County]] at 6:39&nbsp;p.m. CDT (23:39&nbsp;UTC). It progressed through the counties of [[Ogle County, Illinois|Ogle]], [[DeKalb County, Illinois|DeKalb]], and [[Boone County, Illinois|Boone]] before finally dissipating at 7:20&nbsp;p.m. CDT. Along the tornado's {{convert|30.14|mi|adj=mid}} path, numerous structures were heavily damaged or destroyed, especially in the small town of Fairdale where two fatalities and eleven injuries were recorded. A few well-constructed homes were swept completely away, indicative of peak winds near {{convert|200|mph|abbr=on}}, the upper bounds of an [[Enhanced Fujita scale|EF4 tornado]]. In the aftermath of the event, hundreds of citizens assisted in cleanup and recovery efforts. Economic losses from the tornado reached $19&nbsp;million ({{Inflation|US|19000000|2015|fmt=eq|r=-6}}).

Throughout the evening hours of April&nbsp;9, 2014, an extremely violent and long-lived multiple-vortex [[tornado]] tore through the communities near [[Rochelle, Illinois|Rochelle]] and in [[Fairdale, Illinois]]. Part of a larger severe weather event that impacted the [[Central United States]], the tornado first touched down in [[Lee County, Illinois|Lee County]] at 6:39&nbsp;p.m. CDT (23:39&nbsp;UTC). It progressed through the counties of [[Ogle County, Illinois|Ogle]], [[DeKalb County, Illinois|DeKalb]], and [[Boone County, Illinois|Boone]] before finally dissipating at 7:20&nbsp;p.m. CDT. Along the tornado's {{convert|30.14|mi|adj=mid}} path, numerous structures were heavily damaged or destroyed, especially in the small town of Fairdale where two fatalities and eleven injuries were recorded. A few well-constructed homes were swept completely away, indicative of peak winds near {{convert|200|mph|abbr=on}}, the upper bounds of an [[Enhanced Fujita scale|EF4 tornado]]. In the aftermath of the event, hundreds of citizens assisted in cleanup and recovery efforts. Economic losses from the tornado reached $19&nbsp;million ({{Inflation|US|19000000|2015|fmt=eq|r=-6}}).

==Meteorological synopsis==

==Meteorological synopsis==