Illinois, 1999

Tornado and Flood in Illinois, April 8, 1999

April 8, 1999 · NWS DVN · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A tornado developed just west of Warsaw in Hancock County and produced F2 damage to homes in the south part of the community. 2 homes were destroyed while another 30 structures suffered damage, including the high school track and football field and fairgrounds.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

A tornado developed just west of Warsaw in Hancock County and produced F2 damage to homes in the south part of the community. 2 homes were destroyed while another 30 structures suffered damage, including the high school track and football field and fairgrounds. Trees and branches were blown down in many parts of town.The tornado moved northeast into Hamilton where F3 damage occurred. The tornado destroyed or damaged 144 homes and businesses amounting to 10 million dollars in total damage. 4 people suffered minor injuries. The KHQA-TV tower and KOKX radio tower were destroyed. Governor George Ryan declared Hancock County a state disaster area. The tornado weakened and lifted just northeast of Hamilton. Strong thunderstorms continued over much of Hamilton County in the wake of the tornado producing torrential rain and water over various roads in town.

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 158 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:36 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Hancock

When
April 8, 5:35 PM CST to 5:56 PM CST
Where
Hancock County, Warsaw to 1 mi NE of Hamilton
Rating
F3
Path length
7.5 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$15 million
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
40.350, -91.450

Flood, Hancock

When
April 8, 7:00 PM CST
Where
Hancock County, Hamilton
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 1999Warnings in Illinois, April 1999

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: 5710827, 5710828.