Lightning, Cook
- When
- January 22, 9:30 PM CST
- Where
- Cook County, Mt Prospect
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Lightning Strike in Illinois, January 22, 2002
A line of thunderstorms developed during the evening hours of January 22nd across northwest Illinois. The thunderstorms produced pea size hail across many parts of Lee, DeKalb, Kane and Will counties.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 LOT wrote it up.
A line of thunderstorms developed during the evening hours of January 22nd across northwest Illinois. The thunderstorms produced pea size hail across many parts of Lee, DeKalb, Kane and Will counties. As the line moved east into northeast Illinois, a bolt of lightning struck a tree in Mount Prospect. The tree exploded into thousands of pieces, some of which were 3 to 5 feet long. One of these large pieces struck a woman walking her dog. Although she was critically injured, she recovered from her injuries. The flying pieces of the tree broke 3 windows and damaged garage doors and siding.
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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 22, 8:45 PM CST, 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 8:45 PM CST, 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL 845 PM CST TUE JAN 22 2002 MID LEVEL MOISTURE HAS MOVED INTO THE AREA. THIS CAN BE SEEN ON THE DVN SOUNDING AT 0000 UTC. THE RUC MODEL SHOWS A VORTICITY MAXIMUM AT 500 MB MOVING THROUGH ILLINOIS 0200 THROUGH 0300 UTC. SURFACE PRESSURE FALL WERE LARGE AT 0100 UTC OVERE EASTERN ILLINOIS. MOISTURE ADVECTION IS ALSO NOTED AND THE 850 MB WINDS INCREASED DURING THE EVENING OVER THE WINCHESTER PROFILER IN ILLINOIS. RADAR SHOWS THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH RAIN...SLEET AND SMALL HAIL. WILL PUT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN TONIGHTS FORECAST. DISCUSSION AND COORDINATION WITH SPC AND MKX. .CHI...GALE WARNING SRN 2/3 LM WHW
The radar
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:30 UTC.
Event by event
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Lightning Strike in Georgia, January 22, 2002
- Dense Fog in Florida, January 22, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 22 to 23, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Utah, January 22, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, January 22 to 23, 2002
- Extreme Cold in California, January 22 to 25, 2002
- High Wind in California, January 22, 2002
- Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 22 to 23, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, January 22 to 23, 2002
- Dense Fog in California, January 22, 2002
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, January 22, 2002
- Waterspout in Eastern Pacific Coastal Waters, January 22, 2002
More
Every storm in Illinois in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, January 2002
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: 5278466.