Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 2, NWS St. Louis, MO

February 19, 2026Fayette County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this tornado warning at Feb 19, 2026, 5:40 PM CST for Fayette County, Illinois. It was in force for 40 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Feb 19, 2026, 5:40 PM CST (23:40 UTC)
Expired
Feb 19, 2026, 6:20 PM CST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.75 in

County Fayette County, IL

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:43 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 143 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 2026-02-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 7 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 2026-02-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 23 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-290 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
783 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
185 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

102 
WFUS53 KLSX 192340
TORLSX
ILC051-200030-
/O.NEW.KLSX.TO.W.0002.260219T2340Z-260220T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service St Louis MO
540 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southern Fayette County in south central Illinois...

* Until 630 PM CST.

* At 540 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Shobonier, or 9 miles south of Vandalia, moving
  east at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
           to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
           likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  St. Elmo, Farina, Shobonier, La Clede, St. Peter, St. Paul,
  Loogootee and St. James.

This includes the following highways...
Interstate 70 in Illinois near exit 76. Interstate 57 in Illinois
near exit 135.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3882 8915 3891 8918 3903 8881 3891 8881
      3891 8869 3883 8870
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 255DEG 35KT 3885 8907

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

Pfahler
3 follow-up statements
066 
WWUS53 KLSX 192349
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
549 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

ILC051-200030-
/O.CON.KLSX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260220T0030Z/
Fayette IL-
549 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY...

At 549 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 8 miles south of Brownstown, or 11 miles southeast of
Vandalia, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
         to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
  La Clede, St. Peter, Loogootee, St. James and St. Paul.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3883 8902 3895 8903 3901 8881 3891 8881
      3891 8869 3888 8869 3885 8870
TIME...MOT...LOC 2340Z 263DEG 29KT 3887 8905

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

Pfahler
773 
WWUS53 KLSX 200003
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
603 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

ILC051-200030-
/O.CON.KLSX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260220T0030Z/
Fayette IL-
603 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CST FOR EAST
CENTRAL FAYETTE COUNTY...

At 603 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Farina, or 17 miles east of Vandalia, moving east at
35 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and golf ball size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
         to roofs, windows and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
  La Clede, St. Peter, Loogootee and St. James.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built building
away from windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself
from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3885 8889 3897 8889 3899 8881 3891 8881
      3891 8869 3887 8869 3885 8870
TIME...MOT...LOC 2349Z 263DEG 29KT 3887 8895

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

Pfahler
266 
WWUS53 KLSX 200020
SVSLSX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
620 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

ILC051-200030-
/O.CAN.KLSX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260220T0030Z/
Fayette IL-
620 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

...TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR EAST CENTRAL FAYETTE COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

&&

LAT...LON 3885 8889 3897 8889 3899 8881 3891 8881
      3891 8869 3887 8869 3885 8870
TIME...MOT...LOC 0003Z 263DEG 29KT 3889 8881

$$

Pfahler

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 19, 4:23 AM CSTDense Fog AdvisoryLSXBond, Calhoun, Fayette, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin and 4 more5 hr
Feb 19, 5:12 PM CSTTornado WarningLSXMarion29 min
Feb 19, 5:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatLSXBond, Fayette45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes in 2026

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.