Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 19 to 20, 2000

From midnight on the 19th through late morning on the 20th, a series of storms moved northeast from central and western Illinois across portions of northern Illinois and Indiana. Frequent lightning, damaging winds, hail, and heavy rain accompanied the storms. Much of the damage resulted from high wind gusts with the storms which caused extensive structural damage and other property damage from downed trees and power lines. The most heavily damaged areas included Streator in southern La Salle County, several towns in southern and eastern Livingston County, and locations near and east of Kankakee in Kankakee County. High wind damage was reported throughout the town of Streator, with numerous incidents of tree and structural damage. In Livingston County, southwest of Chatsworth a machine shed and tractor barn were destroyed. In Charlotte, a number of buildings were damaged and equipment was destroyed at a grain company. Wind damage was reported throughout Kankakee County, including fallen trees that blocked several county roads, a damaged farm building under construction, and a billboard that damaged a parked truck. Extensive damage occurred near VanDerKarr Road and east to Illinois Route 1, including a trailer that was flipped on its side and downed trees at a near by golf course. Trucks were overturned on I-55 and Route 116, on Route 47 south of Forrest, and east of Collum on Route 116. Lightning started a fire that destroyed a house in Limestone Township near Kankakee.