Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2026
Tornado Warning 21, NWS Paducah, KY
NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2026, 7:36 PM CDT for 4 counties in Illinois; Ballard County, McCracken County, Kentucky. It was in force for 39 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
- Mar 15, 2026, 7:36 PM CDT (00:36 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 15, 2026, 8:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 39 min
- Issued by
- NWS Paducah, KY
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 0.75 in
Counties Alexander County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Massac County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Ballard County, KY, McCracken County, KY
The radar
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:38 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 3:57 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 246 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
- 59 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -216 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1722 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 54 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 296 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 536 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted.
269
WFUS53 KPAH 160036
TORPAH
ILC003-087-127-153-KYC007-145-160115-
/O.NEW.KPAH.TO.W.0021.260316T0036Z-260316T0115Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Paducah KY
736 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026
The National Weather Service in Paducah has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Central Pulaski County in southern Illinois...
Northwestern Massac County in southern Illinois...
South central Johnson County in southern Illinois...
East central Alexander County in southern Illinois...
Northern Ballard County in western Kentucky...
Northwestern McCracken County in western Kentucky...
* Until 815 PM CDT.
* At 736 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms capable of producing both
tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage were located over
Mounds, or 7 miles north of Cairo, moving northeast at 55 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
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.
* These dangerous storms will be near...
Karnak around 745 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Olmsted, New Grand Chain, and Joppa.
This includes Interstate 57 in Illinois between Mile Markers 2 and
13.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid 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 3703 8920 3715 8927 3735 8888 3720 8869
TIME...MOT...LOC 0036Z 238DEG 46KT 3712 8916
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
$$
DW1 follow-up statement
585
WWUS53 KPAH 160101
SVSPAH
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
801 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026
ILC003-087-153-160111-
/O.CAN.KPAH.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-260316T0115Z/
Pulaski IL-Johnson IL-Alexander IL-
801 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL PULASKI...SOUTH CENTRAL JOHNSON
AND EAST CENTRAL ALEXANDER COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for southern
Illinois...and western Kentucky.
&&
LAT...LON 3731 8891 3732 8890 3733 8890 3734 8889
3734 8886 3720 8869 3716 8881 3712 8895
TIME...MOT...LOC 0101Z 243DEG 49KT 3728 8877
$$
ILC127-KYC007-145-160115-
/O.CON.KPAH.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-260316T0115Z/
Massac IL-Ballard KY-McCracken KY-
801 PM CDT Sun Mar 15 2026
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN MASSAC...NORTHEASTERN BALLARD AND NORTHWESTERN MCCRACKEN
COUNTIES...
At 801 PM CDT, a severe squall line capable of producing both
tornadoes and extensive straight line wind damage was located over
New Columbia, or 8 miles north of Metropolis, moving northeast at 55
mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
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.
This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
northwestern Massac, northeastern Ballard and northwestern McCracken
Counties, including the following locations... Joppa.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid 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 3731 8891 3732 8890 3733 8890 3734 8889
3734 8886 3720 8869 3716 8881 3712 8895
TIME...MOT...LOC 0101Z 243DEG 49KT 3728 8877
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
$$
DWSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Paducah, KY issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 7:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Union | 26 min |
| Mar 15, 7:15 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Franklin, Williamson | 30 min |
| Mar 15, 7:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Alexander, Pulaski | 44 min |
| Mar 15, 7:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Alexander, Pulaski | 42 min |
| Mar 15, 7:34 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Johnson, Pulaski, Union | 15 min |
| Mar 15, 7:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Massac, Pope | 47 min |
| Mar 15, 7:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Johnson, Massac, Pope | 28 min |
| Mar 15, 8:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Edwards, Wabash, White | 46 min |
| Mar 15, 7:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Carlisle, Fulton, Hickman | 55 min |
| Mar 15, 8:08 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Graves, Hickman | 23 min |
| Mar 15, 8:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Calloway, Graves | 40 min |
| Mar 15, 8:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Christian, Muhlenberg, Todd | 53 min |
| Mar 15, 8:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Trigg | 29 min |
| Mar 15, 9:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Christian, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg | 57 min |
| Mar 15, 9:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Daviess, Henderson | 52 min |
| Mar 15, 9:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Christian, Daviess, Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg, Webster | 56 min |
| Mar 15, 9:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Muhlenberg | 35 min |
| Mar 15, 9:37 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Christian, Todd | 24 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2026Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 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.