Illinois, 1996

Tornadoes in Illinois, April 19, 1996

April 19, 1996 · NWS DVN · 2 events in 1 county or zone

At least 2 tornados were responsible for damage to 15 homes, a barn, and many outbuildings. One farm lost one 50,000 bushel and three 2,000 bushel grain bins as well as $20-30,000 of irrigation equipment.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$8.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 DVN wrote it up.

At least 2 tornados were responsible for damage to 15 homes, a barn, and many outbuildings. One farm lost one 50,000 bushel and three 2,000 bushel grain bins as well as $20-30,000 of irrigation equipment. Many large and old trees were also snapped off and dumped into the streets and across rural roads, which slowed traffic through the area.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Henderson

When
April 19, 5:00 PM CST to 5:10 PM CST
Where
Henderson County, Oquawka to 5 mi NW of Bald Bluff
Rating
F0
Path length
5 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$4.0 million
Coordinates
41.000, -90.950

Tornado, Henderson

When
April 19, 5:10 PM CST to 5:16 PM CST
Where
Henderson County, 3 mi W of Bald Bluff
Rating
F1
Path length
3.5 mi
Path width
100 yd
Property damage
$4.0 million
Coordinates
41.020, -90.900

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 1996Warnings 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: 5555029, 5555030.