Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, May 16 to 17, 1999

Thunderstorms produced damaging downburst winds throughout north central and northeast Illinois in the late night and early morning hours of the Sunday May 16th and Monday May 17th. In Lee County, trees were downed in Harmon. At a farm, a shed was destroyed and a large out building was blown into a farm house. Trees were blown down in Amboy. One tree limb fell on a house. The roof of a tavern was torn off. At a campground 4 miles east of Amboy, a camper was overturned. Trees and limbs were down elsewhere in the county. In Ogle County, trees were down in Forreston. Two farms were damaged near Chana at Flag Road and Sweeney Road. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed. A house was moved off its foundation. Nickel size hail was also reported with the storm. A house was damaged on the Lee/Ogle County Line. In Boone County, an addition to a high school that was under construction collapsed. North of Belvidere, trees were blown down and farm buildings were damaged on Poplar Grove Road. A tree fell on a house and a silo was blown over. There was also tree damage near Capron.The most extensive damage was in Lake County near Wauconda in a swath about 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. There were tree limbs down in Tower Lakes along and north of Roberts Road and along Route 59. The most extensive damage was to a trailer park at Route 59 and 12. Winds knocked down tree many limbs and a few large trees were uprooted. Trees and limbs fell on homes and sheds. Trailer skirting and awnings were destroyed and strewn about the neighborhood. Thirty nine mobile homes were damaged and seven people were injured in the trailer park. Tree limbs were also blown down through the south and east parts of Wauconda.