Damaging Wind in Illinois, April 19, 1996

Name: Damaging Wind in Illinois, April 19, 1996
Start: 1996-04-19T20:25
End: 1996-04-19T20:25
Location: Illinois

April 19, 1996 · NWS LOT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

There was a northwest to southeast oriented path of damage from Eagle Point and Wilson Mill Roads through Church Road just east of Donaldson. A pole barn was destroyed and several trees were damaged.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.

There was a northwest to southeast oriented path of damage from Eagle Point and Wilson Mill Roads through Church Road just east of Donaldson. A pole barn was destroyed and several trees were damaged. The damage path was 1/2 mile wide and 2 miles long. Winds were estimated to be near 80 mph. A second path of wind damage was from Route 52 and Canada Road to the cemetery north of Polo east of Route 26. Trees were down, a small shed and barn were destroyed and several other buildings were damaged along Summer Hill Road. A pole barn was destroyed north of Polo west of Route 26. The damage was along a path 5 miles long and 1/2 mile wide.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:22 UTC.

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Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ogle

When: April 19, 8:25 PM CST
Where: Ogle County, Polo
Coordinates: 41.980, -89.580

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, April 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5541152.