1967 Belvidere tornado

1967 Belvidere tornado
WSR-57 image highlighting the Belvidere tornado at peak intensity
Meteorological history
FormedApril 21, 1967, 3:50 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds207–260 mph (333–418 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities23 (+1–5 indirect)
Injuries450–500
Damage22 million (1993 USD, $49,032,000 adjusted; estimate from 1993:482)
Areas affectedBoone County, Illinois

Part of the Tornado outbreak of April 21, 1967 and tornadoes of 1967

On the afternoon of April 21, 1967, a violent tornado tracked through Belvidere, Illinois, United States. The tornado struck just after students at the city's high school had been dismissed, as they were loading onto school buses. Many were flipped over and lofted, and the school itself sustained major damage. Throughout Belvidere, hundreds of homes suffered major damage, as did multiple businesses, in addition to the Chrysler plant and one of the city's two hospitals. 23 were killed directly by the storm, 13 of whom died at the high school alone. Past Belvidere, the tornado—which may have been a tornado family of multiple tornadoes following a single path—would strike another school bus in rural McHenry county before dissipating. Recovery was slowed down by snowfall days later. The tornado was one of three in Illinois to receive an F4 rating on the Fujita scale during the April 21 tornado outbreak.