Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Lincoln, IL

August 16, 1993DeWitt County, Piatt County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 1993, 8:47 PM CDT for DeWitt County, Piatt County, Illinois. It was in force for 28 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 1993, 8:47 PM CDT (01:47 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1993, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Whole counties

Counties DeWitt County, IL, Piatt County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 336 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1993-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3482 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 00:00Z on 1993-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
3482 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1086 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KSPI 170147
TORSPI
ILC039-147-170215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
847 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF ILLINOIS
      SOUTHEAST DE WITT...NORTHERN PIATT

AT 845 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF DECATUR...OR JUST NORTHWEST OF WELDON.  THE TORNADO
WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WAS REPORTED AT WAPELLA ILLINOIS AT 815 PM CDT.

THE TOWNS OF WELDON...MONTICELLO...AND DELAND ARE IN THE PATH
OF THIS TORNADO.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE...AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH CUSHIONS OR PILLOWS.
IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...OR IF YOU ARE CAUGHT
OUTSIDE AND A TORNADO IS APPROACHING...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY
REINFORCED BUILDING.  IF NONE IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN A
CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

G,EELHART/MCCOY

What 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, Aug 16, 6:12 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
ILZ009-010-170015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
610 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF CENTRAL AND EAST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 610 PM CDT...SPRINGFIELD RADAR SHOWED ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NORTH
OF SPRINGFIELD NEAR PETERSBURG...AND NORTH OF CHAMPAIGN AND DANVILLE.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AND MOVE INTO CENTRdAL AND
EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS EVENING.  A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE WEATHER INFORMATION SOURCE FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GEELHART
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-170045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
645 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 645 PM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE DETECTED OVER SOUTHERN TAZEWELL
COUNTY...BETWEEN DELAVAN AND ARMINGTION.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST SOUTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND
CENTRAL ILLINOIS...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL 10 PM.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BUCKINGHAM
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-170045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
645 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 645 PM CDT...SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE DETECTED OVER SOUTHERN TAZEWELL
COUNTY...BETWEEN DELAVAN AND ARMINGTION.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST SOUTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND
CENTRAL ILLINOIS...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL 10 PM.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BUCKINGHAM
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 7:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
ILZ009-010-170015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD IL
715 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR ALL OF CENTRAL AND EAST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

AT 712 PM CDT...RADAR DETECTED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...FROM 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF
SPRINGFIELD...TO JUST WEST OF DECATUR...TO 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
SPRINGFIELD NEAR TAYLORVILLE.

A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE P^OSSIBLE THIS EVENING OVER CENTRAL AND EAST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

STAY TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE WEATHER INFORMATION SOURCE FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

MCCOY
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 8:40 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-170240-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
840 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 840 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER MCLEAN COUNTY...
BETWEEN COLFAX AND LEROY.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL
10 PM.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO OR
TELEVISION STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BUCKINGHAM
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 8:43 PM CDT, 4 minutes before
ILZ005-006-007-170240-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEORIA IL
840 PM CDT MON AUG 16 1993

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS UNTIL 10 PM...

AT 840 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER MCLEAN COUNTY...
BETWEEN COLFAX AND LEROY.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL
10 PM.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO OR
TELEVISION STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

BUCKINGHAM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 7:15 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMcLean, Tazewell30 min
Aug 16, 7:45 PM CDTTornado WarningILXDeWitt, McLean30 min
Aug 16, 8:20 PM CDTTornado WarningILXDeWitt25 min
Aug 16, 9:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChampaign, Piatt21 min
Aug 16, 9:40 PM CDTTornado WarningILXChampaign, Piatt20 min
Aug 16, 10:02 PM CDTTornado WarningILXDouglas28 min
Aug 16, 10:10 PM CDTTornado WarningILXChampaign25 min
Aug 17, 4:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXColes, Cumberland, Shelby35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.