Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 15, NWS Lincoln, IL
NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at May 8, 1988, 7:33 PM CDT for 4 counties in Illinois. It was in force for 42 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 8, 1988, 7:33 PM CDT (00:33 UTC)
- Expired
- May 8, 1988, 8:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lincoln, IL
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Champaign County, IL, Douglas County, IL, Edgar County, IL, Vermilion County, IL
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 7:45 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Vermilion, IL | |
| May 8, 7:45 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Vermilion, IL |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Salem-Leckrone, IL (KSLO), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 164 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 96 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -199 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1931 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 64 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 213 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 429 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KSPI 090033
TORSPI
ILC019-041-183-045-090115-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
733 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
CHAMPAIGN...DOUGLAS...VERMILION...EDGAR
AT 726 PM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF TUSCOLA
ILLINOIS...15 MILES SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN . THE TORNADO WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST.
AT 729 PM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED NEAR RANTOUL ILLINOIS...
12 MILES NORTH OF CHAMPAIGN. THE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER
IF AVAILABLE...OTHERWISE TO A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING.
IF YOU ARE IN AN AREA THREATENED BY THE STORM..GO TO A REINFORCED
SHELTER AND PREPA.RE FOR DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY
RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTING.
ATTN ISP DIST...10
HUGHESWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 8, 1:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL 145 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. AT 140 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM MOLINE ILLINOIS SOUTH TO QUINCY. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THE TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. REVIEW SAFETY PRECAUTIONS NOW...THIS WILL SAVE TIME SHOULD TORNADOES SUDDENLY APPEAR. J LAST
Special weather statement, May 8, 2:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL 200 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS... A TORNADO HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNTIL 900 PM CDT THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 155 PM CDT RADAR INIDICATED THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN ILLINOIS EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MACOMB ILLINOIS NORTH TO THE QUAD CITIES AREA AND NORTHWARD. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERRE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM JUST SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN AND DANVILLE ILLINOIS SOUTHWARD TO MATTOON AND CHARLESTON ILLINOIS. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AND NORTHEAST AT 25 MILE AN HOUR. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM ANY OF THESE STORMS IN ILLINOIS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND ADVISE YOU OF ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS. KEEP TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TV STATIONS OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. NOW IS THE TIME TO REVIEW WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND PRECAUTIONS. THIS WILL SAVE PRECIOUS TIME SHOULD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OR TORNADOES DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING. HUGHES
Special weather statement, May 8, 2:06 PM CDT, 5 hours 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL 200 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS... A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNTIL 900 PM CDT THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 155 PM CDT RADAR INIDICATED THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN ILLINOIS EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MACOMB ILLINOIS NORTH TO THE QUAD CITIES AREA AND NORTHWARD. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERRE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM JUST SOUTH OF CHAMPAIGN AND DANVILLE ILLINOIS SOUTHWARD TO MATTOON AND CHARLESTON ILLINOIS. THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AND NORTHEAST AT 25 MILE AN HOUR. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM ANY OF THESE STORMS IN ILLINOIS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND ADVISE YOU OF ANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS. KEEP TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO OR TV STATIONS OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. NOW IS THE TIME TO REVIEW WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND PRECAUTIONS. THIS WILL SAVE PRECIOUS TIME SHOULD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OR TORNADOES DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING. HUGHES
Special weather statement, May 8, 2:57 PM CDT, 4 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL 255 PM CDT SUN MAY 8 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. AT 250 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A RAINSHOWER NEAR MOLINE ILLINOIS. A LARGER AREA OF SHOWERS AND HEAVY THUNDER/ STORMS WAS LOCATED OVER NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHEAST IOWA. A SECOND AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI. THIS AREA WILL MOVE INTO WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THE TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. J LAST
The office that day
Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 7:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Champaign, Piatt | 27 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.