Thunderstorm Wind, Cass
- When
- April 5, 2:16 PM CST
- Where
- Cass County, Beardstown
- Coordinates
- 40.020, -90.430
Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 5, 1997
A narrow line of severe thunderstorms moved east across Central Illinois. Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down throughout the area with some areas sustaining more serious damage.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 19
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 ILX wrote it up.
A narrow line of severe thunderstorms moved east across Central Illinois. Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down throughout the area with some areas sustaining more serious damage. However, no deaths or injuries were reported.
The radar
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:14 UTC.
Event by event
19 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Morgan
- When
- April 5, 2:20 PM CST
- Where
- Morgan County, Jacksonville
- Coordinates
- 39.730, -90.230
In Jacksonville, the thunderstorm winds damaged the tin roof of a trailer home, though no injuries were reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Fulton
- When
- April 5, 2:45 PM CST to 2:58 PM CST
- Where
- Fulton County, Lewistown to 1 mi of Banner
- Coordinates
- 40.420, -90.150
As the storms moved through Fulton County, numerous large tree limbs and power lines were blown down 1 mile north of Lewistown, in Canton, and in Banner.
Thunderstorm Wind, Mason
- When
- April 5, 2:50 PM CST
- Where
- Mason County, 2 mi E of Havana
- Coordinates
- 40.300, -90.030
Thunderstorm Wind, Knox
- When
- April 5, 2:55 PM CST to 2:57 PM CST
- Where
- Knox County, Galesburg to Knoxville
- Coordinates
- 40.950, -90.370
As the thunderstorms moved through the Knoxville area, the winds destroyed a brick building and blew the roof off of one building at a lumber yard. Three people were in the brick building at the time, but escaped injury as it collapsed around them. No damage estimate was available.
Thunderstorm Wind, Knox
- When
- April 5, 2:55 PM CST to 2:57 PM CST
- Where
- Knox County, Oneida to Altona
- Coordinates
- 41.080, -90.220
Thunderstorm Wind, Menard
- When
- April 5, 3:00 PM CST to 3:05 PM CST
- Where
- Menard County, Tallula to Athens
- Coordinates
- 39.930, -89.930
Thunderstorm Wind, Tazewell
- When
- April 5, 3:12 PM CST
- Where
- Tazewell County, 7 mi SW of Pekin
- Coordinates
- 40.500, -89.730
The thunderstorm winds blew over a carport 7 miles southwest of Pekin. No injuries were reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Sangamon
- When
- April 5, 3:15 PM CST
- Where
- Sangamon County, Springfield Arpt
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 39.850, -89.680
Thunderstorm Wind, Stark
- When
- April 5, 3:25 PM CST to 3:36 PM CST
- Where
- Stark County, Toulon to 3 mi SSW of Bradford
- Coordinates
- 41.050, -89.870
As the thunderstorms moved through Stark County they caused a wide variety of damage. Three miles south of Toulon a large evergreen tree was blown over. Meanwhile, 2 miles northeast of Castleton, the thunderstorm winds ripped a nearly empty grain bin from its foundation and blew it into a minivan parked nearby flipping the vehicle upside down. The grain bin narrowly missed hitting a farm house before coming to rest. The winds also destroyed a lean-to at that location. Then as the storm moved to the northeast, it flipped a van over onto its roof and snapped a flag pole in half 3 miles south southwest of Bradford. No damage estimate was available.
Thunderstorm Wind, Tazewell
- When
- April 5, 3:27 PM CST
- Where
- Tazewell County, 3 mi NW of Deer Creek
- Coordinates
- 40.670, -89.370
Thunderstorm Wind, Peoria
- When
- April 5, 3:30 PM CST to 3:31 PM CST
- Where
- Peoria County, Peoria to Chillicothe
- Coordinates
- 40.700, -89.600
Thunderstorm winds caused a lot of damage in the Peoria area. A wall on a boat warehouse was blown out causing around $3,000 in damage and a garage door was buckled in. One tree fell onto a house causing minor roof damage. No injuries were reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Logan
- When
- April 5, 3:35 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, Lincoln Logan Co Arp
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.150, -89.330
Thunderstorm Wind, Sangamon
- When
- April 5, 3:40 PM CST
- Where
- Sangamon County, Dawson
- Coordinates
- 39.850, -89.470
Thunderstorm winds caused structural damage to a sunroom on a residence in Dawson. No damage estimate was available.
Thunderstorm Wind, Woodford
- When
- April 5, 3:45 PM CST
- Where
- Woodford County, 3 mi S of Eureka
- Coordinates
- 40.670, -89.270
Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall
- When
- April 5, 4:01 PM CST
- Where
- Marshall County, La Rose
- Coordinates
- 40.980, -89.230
Thunderstorm Wind, De Witt
- When
- April 5, 4:05 PM CST
- Where
- De Witt County, Clinton
- Coordinates
- 40.150, -88.950
Thunderstorm winds blew over a storage building in Clinton.
Thunderstorm Wind, Macon
- When
- April 5, 4:10 PM CST
- Where
- Macon County, Decatur
- Coordinates
- 39.850, -88.950
A tree was blown down onto a car, though no injuries were reported. No damage estimate was available.
Thunderstorm Wind, McLean
- When
- April 5, 4:20 PM CST
- Where
- McLean County, Bloomington Arpt
- Measured
- 53 kt (61 mph)
- Coordinates
- 40.480, -88.920
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
- Blizzard in North Dakota, April 5 to 6, 1997
- Blizzard in South Dakota, April 5 to 6, 1997
- Blizzard in Minnesota, April 5 to 6, 1997
- Flood in North Dakota, April 5 to 8, 1997
- Flash Flood in Arkansas, April 5, 1997
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, April 5, 1997
- Flood in Minnesota, April 5 to 8, 1997
- Flood in Minnesota, April 5 to 9, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, April 5, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, April 5, 1997
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, April 5, 1997
- Blizzard in Nebraska, April 5 to 6, 1997
More
Every storm in Illinois in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 1997
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: 5599980, 5599984, 5599981, 5599983, 5599982, 5599985, 5599986, 5599987, 5599988, 5599992, 5599989, 5599991, 5599990, 5599993, 5599994, 5599995, 5599996, 5600108, 5600107.