High Wind in Illinois, April 6, 1997

Name: High Wind in Illinois, April 6, 1997
Start: 1997-04-06T08:00
End: 1997-04-06T18:00
Location: Illinois

April 6, 1997 · NWS DVN · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Strong gradient winds howled across the area during the morning and early afternoon hours. Widespread and significant damage was done to trees and power lines.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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: $1.6 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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.

Strong gradient winds howled across the area during the morning and early afternoon hours. Widespread and significant damage was done to trees and power lines. Isolated roof and other structural damage also occurred along with several reports of semi-trucks being blow off the roads.One Quad City roofer was quoted as saying: "I've been a roofer for 27 years and I've never experienced anything like this." Reports indicated damage was mostly done to new roofs whose shingles had not completely sealed. The high winds also contributed to the spread of two grassland fires near Savana in Carroll county Illinois. The first fire spread to a horse barn destroying it, with some animals trapped inside. The second fire destroyed a milking parlor. The total damage was estimated at $120,000. Gusts at specific airport locations: Moline, Illinois 52 knots, Sterling, Illinois 54 knots.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Jo Daviess

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Jo Daviess forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 42.366, -90.212 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Stephenson

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Stephenson forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 42.352, -89.662 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Carroll

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Carroll forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 42.069, -89.934 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Whiteside

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Whiteside forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.756, -89.914 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Rock Island

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Rock Island forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 41.467, -90.567 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Henry

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Henry forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 41.353, -90.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Bureau

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Bureau forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.404, -89.529 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Putnam

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Putnam forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.205, -89.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mercer

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Henderson

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Warren

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.849, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hancock

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McDonough

When: April 6, 8:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: McDonough forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.456, -90.678 (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

Every storm in Illinois in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5592046, 5592047, 5592048, 5592049, 5592050, 5592051, 5592052, 5592053, 5592054, 5592055, 5592056, 5592057, 5592058.