Illinois, 1997

Heat in Illinois, July 2, 1997

July 2, 1997 · NWS PAH · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Temperatures rose well into the 90s, and high humidity raised the heat index to between 105 and 110 degrees. Near Carmi, a 32-year-old male construction worker died as a result of the heat.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
1
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 PAH wrote it up.

Temperatures rose well into the 90s, and high humidity raised the heat index to between 105 and 110 degrees. Near Carmi, a 32-year-old male construction worker died as a result of the heat. The man's body temperature was 106 degrees. The coroner ruled that the man, who alternated between digging and operating a backhoe, was primarily a victim of the heat and humidity. The heat index at Evansville at the time of death was 105 degrees.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, White

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
White forecast zone
Coordinates
38.088, -88.180 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures climbed into the mid 90s during the afternoon. High humidity made conditions dangerous for some individuals. A 32-year-old male died of heat related causes. The coroner stated that the man was spending part of the time digging and the other part using a backhoe. He did not appear to be stressed. The coroner reported the man's body temperature was about 106. The heat index in Evansville, IN was 105 degrees at the time of the death.

Heat, Alexander

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Alexander forecast zone
Coordinates
37.192, -89.338 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Edwards

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Edwards forecast zone
Coordinates
38.417, -88.053 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Franklin

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Coordinates
37.992, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Gallatin

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Gallatin forecast zone
Coordinates
37.763, -88.230 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hamilton

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Coordinates
38.082, -88.539 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Hardin

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Hardin forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
37.518, -88.267 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Jackson

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Coordinates
37.785, -89.382 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Jefferson

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates
38.301, -88.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Johnson

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates
37.460, -88.881 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Massac

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Massac forecast zone
Coordinates
37.219, -88.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Perry

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Perry forecast zone
Coordinates
38.084, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Pope

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Pope forecast zone
Coordinates
37.413, -88.562 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Pulaski

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Pulaski forecast zone
Coordinates
37.223, -89.127 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Saline

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Saline forecast zone
Coordinates
37.753, -88.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Union

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Union forecast zone
Coordinates
37.471, -89.255 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wabash

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Wabash forecast zone
Coordinates
38.446, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Wayne

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates
38.430, -88.426 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Williamson

When
July 2, 12:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Williamson forecast zone
Coordinates
37.730, -88.930 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Heat, Hardin1997-07-0232MaleHeavy Equipment/ConstructionDirect

What these are

Heat
Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.

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, July 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: 5609734, 5609735, 5609736, 5609737, 5609738, 5609739, 5609740, 5609741, 5609742, 5609743, 5609744, 5609745, 5609746, 5609747, 5609748, 5609749, 5609750, 5609751, 5609752.