Illinois, 1997

High Wind in Illinois, April 6, 1997

April 6, 1997 · NWS LOT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong winds with sustained speeds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts to 74 mph, occurred with a low pressure system that moved east over the Great Lakes region. The high winds resulted in downed tree branches, power lines and signs.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
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.

Strong winds with sustained speeds of 35 to 45 mph, with gusts to 74 mph, occurred with a low pressure system that moved east over the Great Lakes region. The high winds resulted in downed tree branches, power lines and signs. Some minor structural damage, mostly to rooftops, was reported throughout north central and northeast Illinois.Damages included; the Holiday Inn sign at IL Rt. 47 and I-80 was blown down; damage estimated at $10,000.00. A single engine plane at the DuPage airport was blown over, part of the roof was blown off at the Elgin Planterium, a tree fell and crushed an attached garage in Libertyville and strong winds tore off part of an apartment building's roof in Woodridge

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Grundy

When
April 6, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Grundy forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Coordinates
41.285, -88.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

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: 5593440.