In the wake of last Wednesday night's storms, the National Weather Service dispatched meteorologists to Mt. Morris on Friday to examine whether or not a tornado was responsible for extensive damage caused in that Stateline community.

Their conclusion was that it was straight-line winds, not a tornado, responsible for the damage. Furthermore, the team's investigation estimated that the winds ranged from 85 to 95 MPH.

From the Weather Service's report, "This damage path began approximately two miles SW of Mt. Morris, near the intersection of Lowell Park Road and Moose Road, and continued intermittently into the town itself. Snapped tree limbs and collapsed or toppled farm outbuildings, including grain bins and silos, comprised most of the damage observed by the servey team in multiple locations."

The report goes on to say, "At no point on this path were there obvious signs of rotation or convergent damage which might be expected with a tornado. Debris at each location was tossed or carried in a straight line to the Northeast, along the path of the intense winds."

That said, it's important to note the capability of non-tornadic severe weather events. Events like these underscore the importance of taking Severe Thunderstorm Warnings as seriously as Tornado Warnings.