Heat in Illinois, July 20 to 26, 1999

Name: Heat in Illinois, July 20 to 26, 1999
Start: 1999-07-20T10:00
End: 1999-07-26T15:00
Location: Illinois

July 20 to 26, 1999 · NWS ILX · 35 events in 35 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 35 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: 4
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 35

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 ILX wrote it up.

The excessive heat wave began on the 20th of July and continued for most of the area through the 26th. Temperatures were in the lower to middle 90s with heat index values in the 105 to 110 degree range each day. Northern sections of the area did cool down some by the 25th as a front moved through the area...so the heat advisory was cancelled in those areas. During this time period four heat related deaths were reported in Central Illinois. In Atlanta (Logan County), two young boys (2 1/2 and 1 1/2 years old) wandered away on the afternoon of the 20th and were found about an hour later in their parents car. Both were reported dead shortly thereafter. In West Peoria (Peoria County), an elderly woman was found in her apartment on the 24th. All of the windows were closed and the air conditioner was broken. In Springfield (Sangamon County), a 62 year old woman was found in her home on the 25th. Again all of the windows were closed and there were no fans or air conditioning.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

35 heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Marshall

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.033, -89.345 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Mason

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Mason forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.240, -89.917 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, McLean

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.491, -88.847 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Menard

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Menard forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.027, -89.802 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Morgan

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.716, -90.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Moultrie

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Moultrie forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.642, -88.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Peoria

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Peoria forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.788, -89.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Piatt

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Piatt forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.010, -88.591 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Richland

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.712, -88.085 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Sangamon

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Sangamon forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.758, -89.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Schuyler

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Schuyler forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.158, -90.615 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Scott

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.644, -90.475 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Shelby

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.391, -88.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Stark

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.093, -89.797 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Tazewell

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Tazewell forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.508, -89.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Vermilion

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Vermilion forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.183, -87.733 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Woodford

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Woodford forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.788, -89.211 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Knox

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.932, -90.213 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cass

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.974, -90.247 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Champaign

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Champaign forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.140, -88.199 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Christian

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.546, -89.277 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Clark

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.334, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Clay

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.754, -88.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Coles

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Coles forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.520, -88.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Crawford

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.003, -87.760 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Cumberland

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Cumberland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.273, -88.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, De Witt

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: De Witt forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.175, -88.904 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Douglas

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.770, -88.217 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Edgar

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Edgar forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.679, -87.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Effingham

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Effingham forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.060, -88.590 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Fulton

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 25, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.473, -90.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Jasper

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.010, -88.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Lawrence

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 3:00 PM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.720, -87.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Logan

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Deaths: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.125, -89.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heat, Macon

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to July 26, 10:00 AM CST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.860, -88.962 (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.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Heat, Peoria	1999-07-24	82	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Sangamon	1999-07-25	62	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Heat, Logan	1999-07-20	2	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct
Heat, Logan	1999-07-20	3	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

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

Every storm in Illinois in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, July 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: 5707028, 5707029, 5707030, 5707031, 5707032, 5707033, 5707034, 5707035, 5707036, 5707037, 5707038, 5707039, 5707040, 5707041, 5707042, 5707043, 5707044, 5708016, 5708017, 5708018, 5708019, 5708020, 5708021, 5708022, 5708023, 5708024, 5708025, 5708026, 5708027, 5708028, 5708029, 5708030, 5708031, 5708032, 5708033.