Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 15, 2009Cass County, Morgan County, Scott County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2009, 3:45 PM CDT for Cass County, Morgan County, Scott County, Illinois. It was in force for 45 min. 2 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, 3:45 PM CDT (20:45 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2009, 4:30 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Lincoln, IL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Cass County, IL, Morgan County, IL, Scott County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:49 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, 4:04 PM CDTHAIL 0.75Meredosia, IL
May 15, 4:05 PM CDTHAIL 0.75Chapin, 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 169 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 152045
TORILX
ILC017-137-171-152130-
/O.NEW.KILX.TO.W.0009.090515T2045Z-090515T2130Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN CASS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
  NORTHWESTERN MORGAN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
  NORTHERN SCOTT COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT.

* AT 342 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES EAST OF BEVERLY...OR 15 MILES NORTH OF
  PITTSFIELD...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NAPLES...
  OXVILLE...
  MEREDOSIA...
  BLUFFS...
  EXETER...
  CHAPIN...
  MERRITT...
  RIGGSTON...

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...ARENZVILLE...BLUFF
SPRINGS...CONCORD...JACKSONVILLE...LITERBERRY...LYNNVILLE...
VIRGINIA...JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT AND LAKE JACKSONVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED...IT MEANS THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS
BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...
OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS
DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE
BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO NOT SEEK SHELTER
UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

&&

LAT...LON 3974 9064 3976 9063 3983 9058 3988 9059
      3991 9055 3999 9051 4006 9019 3963 9021
      3968 9065 3971 9066
TIME...MOT...LOC 2045Z 267DEG 28KT 3982 9084

$$

BARKER
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS53 KILX 152111
SVSILX

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

ILC017-137-171-152130-
/O.CON.KILX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090515T2130Z/
SCOTT IL-MORGAN IL-CASS IL-
411 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR WESTERN
CASS...NORTHWESTERN MORGAN AND NORTHERN SCOTT COUNTIES...

AT 406 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO
DETECT A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MEREDOSIA...OR 15
MILES SOUTHWEST OF BEARDSTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE...CONCORD...
ARENZVILLE...JACKSONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...JACKSONVILLE AND
VIRGINIA.

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 3974 9064 3976 9063 3983 9058 3988 9059
      3991 9055 3999 9051 4006 9019 3963 9021
      3968 9065 3971 9066
TIME...MOT...LOC 2110Z 266DEG 39KT 3984 9049

$$

BARKER
000 
WWUS53 KILX 152127
SVSILX

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

ILC017-137-171-152136-
/O.EXP.KILX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090515T2130Z/
SCOTT IL-MORGAN IL-CASS IL-
427 PM CDT FRI MAY 15 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WESTERN CASS...NORTHWESTERN MORGAN AND
NORTHERN SCOTT COUNTIES EXPIRES AT 430 PM CDT...

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN MORGAN AND
SOUTHEASTERN CASS COUNTIES UNTIL 5 PM CDT...

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

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP...AND A TORNADO
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 3974 9064 3976 9063 3983 9058 3988 9059
      3991 9055 3999 9051 4006 9019 3963 9021
      3968 9065 3971 9066
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 266DEG 39KT 3985 9026

$$

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, 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, 5:40 PM CDTTornado WarningILXLogan, Macon, Sangamon50 min
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.