Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 15, 2009Logan County, Macon County, Sangamon County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2009, 5:40 PM CDT for Logan County, Macon County, Sangamon County, Illinois. It was in force for 50 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2009, 5:40 PM CDT (22:40 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2009, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Logan County, IL, Macon County, IL, Sangamon County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 24 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:41 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 15, 5:46 PM CDTHAIL 11 W Cornland, IL
May 15, 5:54 PM CDTHAIL 0.88Cornland, ILNICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED ALONG WITH 50-55 MPH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN.
May 15, 6:13 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 60Latham, IL

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 15, 2:39 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 64 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2009-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2009-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 109 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1235 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
242 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 
WFUS53 KILX 152240
TORILX
ILC107-115-167-152330-
/O.NEW.KILX.TO.W.0013.090515T2240Z-090515T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
540 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN LOGAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
  WESTERN MACON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
  NORTHEASTERN SANGAMON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT.

* AT 538 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR RIVERTON...OR 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  SPRINGFIELD...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CORNLAND...
  ILLIOPOLIS...
  NIANTIC...
  LATHAM...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

LAT...LON 4001 8914 3982 8913 3986 8951 3999 8957
TIME...MOT...LOC 2240Z 270DEG 25KT 3990 8948

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KILX 152313
SVSILX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
613 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

ILC107-115-167-152330-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090515T2330Z/
SANGAMON IL-MACON IL-LOGAN IL-
613 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
LOGAN...WESTERN MACON AND NORTHEASTERN SANGAMON COUNTIES...

AT 612 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO
DETECT A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR NIANTIC...OR 14 MILES
WEST OF DECATUR...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE....

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

&&

LAT...LON 4001 8914 3982 8913 3986 8951 3999 8957
TIME...MOT...LOC 2313Z 270DEG 25KT 3990 8918

$$

BARKER
000 
WWUS53 KILX 152328
SVSILX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
628 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

ILC107-115-167-152336-
/O.EXP.KILX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090515T2330Z/
SANGAMON IL-MACON IL-LOGAN IL-
628 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHERN LOGAN...WESTERN MACON AND
NORTHEASTERN SANGAMON COUNTIES EXPIRES AT 630 PM CDT...

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN MACON COUNTY UNTIL
700 PM CDT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN LOGAN AND
NORTHERN SANGAMON COUNTY UNTIL 715 PM CDT.

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA...HOWEVER SMALL HAIL IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

LAT...LON 4001 8914 3982 8913 3986 8951 3999 8957
TIME...MOT...LOC 2326Z 270DEG 25KT 3990 8907

$$

BARKER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 9:03 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXFulton, Knox6 hr
May 15, 10:28 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXKnox, Peoria, Stark5 hr
May 15, 10:55 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningILXFulton6 days
May 15, 10:58 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningILXMcLean, Tazewell, Woodford56 hr
May 15, 11:32 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILXFulton, Marshall, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford6 hr
May 15, 2:35 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXFulton, Knox, Peoria, Stark6 hr
May 15, 2:38 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementILXSchuyler67 min
May 15, 3:32 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXFulton, Schuyler6 hr
May 15, 3:45 PM CDTTornado WarningILXCass, Morgan, Scott45 min
May 15, 4:00 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningILXCass, Mason9 days
May 15, 4:17 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXMarshall, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford6 hr
May 15, 4:25 PM CDTTornado WarningILXCass, Morgan35 min
May 15, 4:47 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILXMason, Tazewell6 hr
May 15, 4:49 PM CDTTornado WarningILXCass, Menard, Sangamon26 min
May 15, 5:14 PM CDTTornado WarningILXLogan, Menard, Sangamon46 min
May 15, 5:25 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILXMcLean, Tazewell, Woodford6 hr
May 15, 5:38 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILXCass, Mason, Menard6 hr
May 15, 5:46 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXMcLean, Tazewell, Woodford5 hr
May 15, 5:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXCass, Logan, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon and 2 more6 hr
May 15, 5:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXCass, Morgan, Scott47 min
May 15, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChampaign, Vermilion54 min
May 15, 6:11 PM CDTTornado WarningILXMacon35 min
May 15, 6:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementILXMason, Menard59 min
May 15, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXLogan, Menard, Sangamon30 min
May 15, 6:27 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXDeWitt, Macon6 hr
May 15, 6:38 PM CDTTornado WarningILXChampaign, Vermilion31 min
May 15, 6:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChristian, Logan, Sangamon48 min
May 15, 6:42 PM CDTTornado WarningILXChampaign, Macon, Piatt48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.