From June 12 to June 13, 2013, two derechos occurred across different areas of the Eastern United States. The initial derecho formed on the afternoon of June 12 and tracked across a large section of the Midwestern United States, the central Appalachians, and the Mid-Atlantic states before moving into the Atlantic Ocean during the morning of June 13. A second, more widespread and intense derecho occurred on June 13 across the Southeastern United States, resulting in major wind damage across North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, among other states. These storms caused at least three deaths and extensive damage property damage – resulting from both tornadoes and straight-line winds – from Iowa to South Carolina. 28 tornadoes touched down in Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee. One of the tornadoes in Iowa was rated as a high-end EF3, destroying a restaurant and two houses. One person was injured by another tornado, rated EF2, in Carroll County, Illinois, and nine people were injured by an EF1 in Cherokee County, Georgia.

Storm overview An upper level disturbance across the northern Great Plains interacted with a warm and moist air mass on the afternoon of June 12. This interaction led to the development of supercell thunderstorms across Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The cells gradually formed into a squall line and turned into a derecho in the Chicago area that evening.

June 12 supercells Between 3 and 4 p.m. CDT (2000–2100 UTC) on June 12, numerous supercell thunderstorms developed across Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. These supercells resulted in seven of the 13 tornadoes that touched down that day. Five tornadoes were confirmed across Wright and Franklin counties in Iowa. One of the tornadoes was rated high-end EF3, destroying two houses and a restaurant. Other tornadoes were rated EF2, EF1, and EF0, with numerous farm buildings suffering major damage. Two other tornadoes – rated EF0 and EF2 – touched down in Jo Daviess and Carroll County, Illinois. One person was injured near Savanna.

June 12–13 derecho The supercell activity in Iowa and Illinois congealed into a powerful squall line as the storms moved into Indiana later that night. The newly formed derecho began producing numerous reports of damaging winds in northern Indiana. As the storms reached the town of Wabash, an embedded downburst within the main line produced winds up to in the town. Farm structures were destroyed and trees were snapped and uprooted. The derecho continued into Ohio and produced widespread damaging winds across much of the state, along with several embedded tornadoes. Henry County, Ohio, documented four separate touchdowns, and a total of nine tornadoes occurred in Ohio that night.

The derecho continued eastward into the early morning hours of the 13th, through Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware, producing wind damage in each state before dissipating.

June 13 derecho On the morning of the 13, another linear complex of severe storms developed along a line near the southern border of Ohio. The storms eventually strengthened into a powerful derecho and raced to the south and east. As the storms reached eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, hundreds of damaging wind reports began coming into the Storm Prediction Center. In the Atlanta area, the storms produced two embedded EF1 tornadoes that moved through several suburbs. One of the tornadoes struck Canton, Georgia, and injured nine people. Fatalities and injuries occurred as a result of falling trees and power lines as the storms ripped through North Carolina and Virginia, along with numerous reports of damaging winds and power outages. The derecho downed numerous trees and damaged structures in West Virginia as well, with surveys indicating winds up to in some areas

In Maryland, the derecho produced an unusually fast moving, long track EF0 tornado that tracked through several northern DC suburbs, downing many trees, several of which landed on homes. Emdedded tornadoes also occurred in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. The derecho moved out over the Atlantic Ocean and dissipated later that evening. The SPC received a total of 794 damaging wind reports that day.

Confirmed tornadoes

June 12 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, June 12, 2013EF#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax widthSummary EF3BelmondWrightIA2108 – 2127 High-end EF3 tornado touched down to the northwest of Belmond and tracked generally southeast, damaging a machine shed. Quickly intensifying, it reached EF2 strength as it struck a farmstead, causing significant damage. As it approached U.S. Highway 69, it reached high-end EF3 intensity. A home was detached from its cinder-block foundation and destroyed, and several business were heavily damaged, including a restaurant. A warehouse was also destroyed and partially swept off its foundation. Damage was relatively light for the remainder of the track northeast and east of town, with the tornado later roping out and dissipating to the east-southeast of Belmond. The tornado crossed the track of the 2119 UTC EF1 tornado that had passed through area east of Belmond almost 10 minutes earlier. EF1ESE of BelmondWrightIA2119 – 2132As the 2108 UTC EF3 tornado was north of Belmond (eight minutes before the EF3 dissipated), another tornado touched down to the east of town. This tornado remained over mostly open areas, though it knocked a mesonet station off the roof of the elementary school and downed a grove of trees. EF0NW of BelmondWrightIA2121 – 2124An anticyclonic tornado on the backside of the Belmond EF3 tornado moved across open farmland. EF2NNE of Alexander to NW of LatimerFranklinIA2132 – 2144As the 2126 UTC EF1 storm was dissipating, this tornado touched down further east. It heavily damaged several farms before dissipating just before reaching Interstate 35. EF1NE of Latimer to NW of HamptonFranklinIA2146 – 2155A small tornado damaged the roof of a barn and downed about a dozen trees at two farmsteads. EF1S of ShabbonaDeKalbIL2132 – 2137Many trees and power poles were downed and one structure suffered minor shingle damage. EF0NW of HamptonFranklinIA2153 – 2156A well-documented tornado remained over open farmland. EF0NW of HamptonFranklinIA2156 – 2159Weak tornado caused minor damage to the roof of a barn and downed several trees. EF0S of HanoverJo DaviessIL2350Brief, weak tornado with no damage. EF2N of Savanna to W of Mount CarrollCarrollIL2353 – 0003A home was pushed off of its foundation, several outbuildings were damaged, and many trees were downed. One person was injured. EF0NW of MantenoKankakeeIL0050 – 0051Brief tornado touched down at a farmstead and collapsed a barn, killing a horse. Debris was tossed about to the southeast into a field, where the tornado dissipated. EF0Southern WillshireVan WertOH0327 – 0330Weak, brief tornado on the south side of town caused major roof and window damage to 13 homes and rolled a garage off of its cinder-block foundation. One house lost a portion of its roof and it was thrown over the top of a neighboring house. Several trees were downed as well. EF0NW of RockfordMercerOH0335 – 0336Part of the roof was removed from an aluminum barn and the barn had four large doors blown out. Debris from this buildings caused damage to surrounding structures, most notably large dents in two grain silos. Another aluminum building suffered siding damage and one window was blown out. EF0ESE of New BavariaHenryOH0355 – 0356Very brief tornado destroyed a barn, caused minor roof damage to a home, and downed trees before transitioning into a straight-line wind event. EF1N of HamlerHenryOH0359 – 0401A barn was destroyed, a soybean field was damaged, and several trees were downed.

June 13 event