Tornadoes in Illinois, April 5, 1999

The tornado first touched down along Highway 9 southwest of Good Hope snapping several trees. From there the tornado moved northeast across Town Fork Creek damaging several trees in a densely wooded area and snapping two large trees along a county road. Damage along this path was rated F0.As the tornado continued northeast it moved through plowed farmland and approached a homestead alongnorth-south county road west of Good Hope. The house sustained no structural damage, but several outbuildings suffered substantial damage. An older concrete block hog house was destroyed while the roof and sides of a new machine shed were torn off. A grain bin was blown about 500 yards from the home site into a neighboring field. Damage along this path was rated F2.For the next several miles the tornado tracked through plowed farmland snapping a few trees and blowing over several fences. The tornado then approached US Highway 67 just south of the McDonough-Warren County line.The tornado snapped two very large oak trees at a homestead with one landing on the house. It continued on a northeast track snapping several trees and damaging a roof on a homestead just south of the county line.Damage along this path was rated F1. The tornado then crossed from McDonough county into Warren county just east of highway 67. As the tornado continued northeast it hit a group of farm buildings north of the county line. Three of the buildings sustained major damage. A corn crib was blown on it's side while the roof of a barn and shed were destroyed. Damage along this path was rated F1.The tornado tracked into the south side of Swan Creek destroying a grain elevator. Just northeast of the elevator the walls of a concrete block machine shop were blown in and the building was completely destroyed.As is continued northeast it toppled several trees and antennae. Other damage in Swan Creek included two porches torn off homesteads and two roofs lifted, but not pulled off homesteads. Damage along this path was rated F2.The tornado continued northeast and lifted just north of town.