Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, June 29, 1998

As the bow echo moved through Fulton County it blew down hundreds of trees, one of which fell on a woman in Cuba, who was trying to seek shelter from the storm. She sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized for a time.

A tornado touched down initially 4 miles east northeast of Avon, travelling to the east southeast. Initial damage occurred at a farmstead with damage to a barn ($15,000). A farm house was damaged, ripping off part of the roof, part of the siding, and moving it off the foundation. Damage to a nearby beanfield was estimated around $50,000. The tornado lifted briefly then touched down 8 miles east of Avon, damaging a machine shed and a horse barn. Numerous trees were also damaged along the tornado's path. No injuries were reported.

A tornado touched down 3.5 miles southwest of Williamsfield. It destroyed a steel corn crib, blew down a large tree which damaged a home. Also, several windows were blown out on the home. As the tornado travelled east it caused major tree damage for a mile. Then it blew a large tree onto another home and destroyed an empty silo. Next it destroyed a barn and two outbuildings, knocked yet another tree onto a home, as well as, breaking several windows and blowing several 2x4s into the home. Further down the road, the roof and east walls of two homes were destroyed. Then for the last half of a mile, ten power poles were blown down, as well as, numerous trees and a barn sustained moderate damage. One woman sustained minor injuries from flying glass. Damage is estimated around $2 million.

A tornado touched down on the west side of Farmington and travelled to the east southeast. It first severely damaged a lumberyard, ripping off the roof of a large storage facility. Then as it moved into the downtown area, several buildings sustained damage to the back walls, as well as, roof damage. Also, several projectiles were found in this area (2x4s driven into the ground). A block down the road a house lost its roof and then as the tornado moved into the east side of town, the second story of a brick building was demolished. Across the street at the high school, a large garage was destroyed which damaged several vehicles. Also, the gymnasium sustained significant roof and water damage and the new press box and bleachers at the football stadium were destroyed. Damage at the high school was estimated around $400,000. As the tornado lifted on the east side of town, it blew down or damaged numerous trees. No deaths or injuries were reported.

As the storms moved through Cass County, Chandlerville was the hardest hit. Three mobile homes were blown over and half the roof of the bank was torn off. Also, the grain elevator sustained moderate damage. No injuries were reported.

As the storms moved through Tazewell County, more intense damage was observed in two main areas, Morton and South Pekin. In Morton, as a tornado moved through southwestern portions of the city, strong microburst winds (100 to 110 mph) caused considerable tree and power line damage, as well as, structural damage in and close to the tornado path which masked or "wiped out" any evidence of a possible tornado touchdown. The tornado occurrence was not discounted however, as there were numerous valid spotter observations plus a mesocyclone signature on doppler radar. In the South Pekin area, 7 railroad cars were blown over and two high-tension towers were blown down. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and damage in Tazewell County was estimated around $3 million.

A tornado formed over the Marquette Heights area blowing down numerous trees and power lines as it travelled to the east southeast. When the tornado reached the Groveland area, numerous homes sustained minor to moderate damage and part of the canopy over the gas pumps at a convenience store was blown down. As the tornado reached the southwestern side of Morton it intensified. It caused considerable damage to a 30 store shopping center, tearing half the roof off and breaking windows. In this same area it also caused moderate damage to a cinema, several restaurants, and other businesses. Then the tornado moved into a residential area causing light to moderate damage to around 24 homes, mainly roof damage, before lifting and dissipating. So far damage has been estimated around $1 million and no injuries or deaths were reported.

In Mclean County as the storms moved through, there were more intense areas of damage due to microbursts (100 to 110 mph) in the Mclean and Leroy areas. In the town of Mclean, a large billboard was bent over and a business on the east side of town lost a large portion of its roof, as well as, several large motorized doors. Further east in Leroy, hundreds of trees were blown down, some of which fell onto homes causing moderate damage. In Bloomington, a home was destroyed by fire due to a freak accident. Large tree limbs were blown down onto the home's gas meter, knocking it off the wall. Live downed power lines helped to spark the fire. No injuries were reported and damage in Mclean County was estimated around $1.1 million.

In DeWitt County, a strong microburst (100 to 110 mph) hit around the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant facility and the adjacent Clinton Lake recreation area. The nuclear plant lost three high voltage transmission lines, though there was no structural damage to the facility. Nearby at the marina, the roof on the west side was blown off and several large boats (not in the water) were blown over. Also, hundreds of trees were blown down, some of which blocked Routes 54 and 10 for a time. No injuries were reported.

As the bow echo moved through Macon County, the Maroa area sustained considerable damage. A high-tension transmission line was blown down across US 51. Eight structures which carried the line were damaged and a nearby barn and shed were destroyed. No injuries were reported.

An off-duty police officer witnessed a tornado briefly touch down and pull a large tree out of the ground in the Huntington Heights subdivision 7 miles south of Springfield. No structural damage or injuries were reported.

As a tornado touched down on the north side of Pawnee, it blew the roof off of a house and twisted it on its foundation. Some debris (2x6s) from the house were driven into the roof of the garage on the house next door. The tornado continued for about half a mile before lifting and dissipating knocking down several trees. Damage to the two homes was estimated around $130,000. No injuries or deaths were reported.

Several areas in Champaign County sustained considerable damage caused by microbursts (100 to 110 mph) as the thunderstorms marched across the county. Just south of Willard Airport, a mobile home was destroyed. A woman inside the mobile home sustained minor injuries as the home was rolled off its foundation and disintegrated. A nearby roofing business literally lost its roof. In the same general area, two semis were blown over on I-57 with one driver sustaining minor injuries. Further south, just south of Tolono, 21 cars of a freight train were blown off the tracks. No injuries were reported with that incident.

A tornado briefly touched down in Tolono on the west side near the park. It travelled to the east southeast for about half a mile knocking down numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines before lifting and dissipating. A few of the trees landed on homes causing light to moderate damage. No damage estimate was available. No injuries or deaths were reported.