Tornado in Illinois, April 18, 1996

A tornado touched down in the southeastern portions of Decatur. The initial touchdown was near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Marion St. on the northwestern corner of Mueller Park. The path of the storm then moved a little north of east, with damage centered along Lincoln Street to about 19th Street. At that point the damage path center appeared to move somewhat to the north, crossing 22nd Street between Cantrell and Roosevelt. The path then went across the Nelson Park Golf Course, where it knocked down over 100 trees, then crossed over the western portion of the Hwy 36 bridge before lifting. 88 homes were either damaged or destroyed, as well as, numerous businesses. Nine people sustained minor injuries. Also, 6 large utility poles on the Illinois Hwy 36 bridge were blown over, which trapped several motorists in their cars, though no one was injured. The damage is estimated around $1.5 million.