Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 17, 2001

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 17, 2001
Start: 2001-07-17T14:20
End: 2001-07-17T17:25
Location: Illinois

July 17, 2001 · NWS ILX · 10 events in 9 counties and zones

9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 1:15 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 1:15 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
215 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

CONCERNS FOR THIS PERIOD INCLUDE MONITORING HEAT INDICIES NEXT
COUPLE OF AFTERNOONS AND CONVECTION CHCS NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

VIS SAT SHOWING WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY...MOVING
THROUGH EXTREME EASTERN IA AND WESTERN IL. CONVECTION IS ONGOING
ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA AND NOW NORTHWEST IL...JUST
BEGINNING TO ENTER MY NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES. UNSTABLE CONDITIONS IN
PLACE WITH CAPES SHOWING ON THE ORDER OF 2000 TO 3000 J/KG AND LI/S
-7 TO -9. WITH DEWPTS IN LOW TO MID 70S AND TMPS IN THE MIDDLE TO
UPPER 80S...SEE NO REASON WHY CONVECTION WON/T CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS ACROSS MAINLY THE NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF THE CWA. SPC HAS BOXED MUCH OF MY CWA INTO THIS EVENING
WITH THIS CONVECTION. INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...LOW LVL JET AND
BEST WAA FOCUS IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN IOWA. THIS WILL
LIKLEY RESULT IN ANOTHER MCS DVLPG OVERNIGHT AND MOVING SOUTH AND
EAST. LAST NIGHTS STAYED TO OUR NORTH...BUT WITH INITIATION OF THIS
ONE A BIT FUTHER SW FROM LAST NIGHTS...BUT STILL WILL LIKELY MISS
OUR AREA. DO NOT PLAN ON GETTING FANCY AND WILL KEEP 30 POPS GOING
INTO OVERNIGHT HOURS AS WELL.

DAY 2 OUTLOOK MENTIONS CONCERN FOR POSSIBLE SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT IN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON
WEDS...SIMILAR TO WHAT IS NOW EVOLVING. BEST CHC FOR PCPN WILL BE
DURING THAT TIME...BUT WILL NOT GET SPECIFIC WITH TIMING OF PCPN IN
ZONES. THREAT WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY AS BOUNDARY SETS UP ACROSS
OR SW OF THE AREA.

EXTENDED NOW SHOWING THAT SAT AND SUNDAY MAY BE DRY ACROSS THE
AREA...BUT NOT READY TO GIVE UP QUITE YET. WILL KEEP WITH
PERSISTANCE.  FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPPING OUT OF THE PLAINS SEEMS TO
BE A BIT SLOWER MOVING IN...SO WILL INTRODUCE CHC POPS FOR TUESDAY.

GUIDANCE NUMBERS LOOK TO BE ONLINE WITH CURRENT THINKING. WILL NOT
DEVIATE MUCH FROM THEM WITH LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 70S AND
HIGHS AROUND OR INTO THE LOWER 90S. TMP OF 93 AND DEWPT OF 75 GIVES
HEAT INDEX 0F 104. HEAT ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR
TOMORROW...BUT WILL BE UP TO MID CREW TO MAKE THAT CALL.

THANKS FOR COORDINATION WITH LOT.

...PRELIMINARY CCF FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES ONLY...

SPI BB 073/093 073/092 073 26643
PIA BB 073/093 074/091 073 26643
DEC BB 072/092 073/092 072 26643
5CMI BB 072/091 072/091 072 26433
MTO BB 071/090 072/092 072 26433
LWV BB 072 092 073/092 073 26333

.ILX...NONE.

FISHER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 17, 10:15 AM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes before

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-171730-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1115 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS
THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE.

TROPICAL LIKE MOISTURE COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES CLIMBING TOWARD 90
DEGREES WILL RESULT IN UNCOMFORTABLE OUTDOOR CONDITIONS. THE HEAT
INDEX IS EXPECTED TO REACH LEVELS BETWEEN 95 AND 100 DEGREES FROM
1 TO 7 PM.

HUETTL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Schuyler

When: July 17, 2:20 PM CST
Where: Schuyler County, 1 mi W of Littleton
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.233, -90.633

Thunderstorm Wind, Fulton

When: July 17, 2:48 PM CST
Where: Fulton County, 9 mi ESE of Astoria
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.183, -90.200

Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees, including some that were over two feet in diameter at the Anderson Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area. Some buildings sustained minor damage due to the fallen trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mason

When: July 17, 2:58 PM CST
Where: Mason County, 2 mi SE of Bath
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.183, -90.117

Six to eight power poles were blown down .

Thunderstorm Wind, Cass

When: July 17, 3:17 PM CST to 3:26 PM CST
Where: Cass County, Beardstown
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.017, -90.433

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

Hail, Cass

When: July 17, 3:20 PM CST
Where: Cass County, Beardstown
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 40.017, -90.433

Thunderstorm Wind, Menard

When: July 17, 3:36 PM CST
Where: Menard County, Petersburg
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.017, -89.850

A large tree was blown over onto a delivery truck causing minor damage. Also, numerous other trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sangamon

When: July 17, 4:02 PM CST to 4:47 PM CST
Where: Sangamon County, Springfield Arpt
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 39.850, -89.683

Widespread damage was reported in Sangamon county. Numerous trees, tree limbs, power poles and power lines were blown down in Springfield, Dawson, Chatham and Divernon.

Thunderstorm Wind, Morgan

When: July 17, 4:22 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan County, Concord
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: STORM CHASER
Coordinates: 39.817, -90.367

Several trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down in Concord, Chapin and Murrayville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Christian

When: July 17, 4:57 PM CST
Where: Christian County, 1 mi W of Taylorville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.550, -89.317

Several power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When: July 17, 5:05 PM CST to 5:25 PM CST
Where: Scott County, Winchester
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.633, -90.467

Several power lines were blown down in Winchester, Alsey and Glasgow.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Illinois, July 2001

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: 5258244, 5258246, 5258245, 5258247, 5258248, 5258249, 5258250, 5258343, 5258344, 5258059.