Funnel Cloud, Henderson
- When
- July 9, 7:23 PM CST to 7:26 PM CST
- Where
- Henderson County, Raritan
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 9, 2003
This was the 9th and final severe weather episode that concluded an active 6 day period across Eastern Iowa, Northern Illinois, and Northeast Missouri. Thunderstorms developed along old outflow boundaries and ahead of a cold front and formed another severe MCS that moved across the area in the late afternoon and evening hours, producing mainly wind damage.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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
- 0
- Property damage
- $312,000
- Crop damage
- $25,000
- Events
- 13
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 DVN wrote it up.
This was the 9th and final severe weather episode that concluded an active 6 day period across Eastern Iowa, Northern Illinois, and Northeast Missouri. Thunderstorms developed along old outflow boundaries and ahead of a cold front and formed another severe MCS that moved across the area in the late afternoon and evening hours, producing mainly wind damage. Training of storms produced very heavy rains and some areas experienced flash flooding due to soils that were near saturation from rain over the previous 6 days.
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 Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 9, 3:42 PM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 3:42 PM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 442 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2003 WILL KEEP THIS SHORT DUE TO POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER TIME CONSTRAINTS. WARM FRONT EXTENDS LATE THIS AFTERNOON FROM A NORTHWEST MISSOURI LOW...ALONG THE MISSOURI-IOWA LINE INTO NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE MISSOURI LOW TO A SECOND OCCLUDED LOW IN SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. UPPER 70S DEW POINTS HAVE WORKED THEIR WAY NORTH TO INTERSTATE 80 ON THE IOWA SIDE. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEGUN TO FIRE NEAR OTTUMWA. THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS IS IN THE SHORT TERM...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING. AFTER THAT...THE WEATHER QUIETS DOWN... BRINGING SOME RELIEF IN THE FORM OF LOWER DEW POINTS AND COOLER TEMPS FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. UPPER SUPPORT AT THE JET LEVEL...COMBINED WITH HIGH CAPES...AND THE FRONTS ACROSS THE AREA...WILL PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING. MISSOURI LOW WILL MOVE TO KEOKUK THIS EVENING AS THE MINNESOTA LOW MOVES ACROSS MINNESOTA. THE MODELS ARE IN DISAGREEMENT AS TO WHETHER THE SOUTHERN LOW REMAINS PRIMARY...OR IS SUPERSEDED BY THE NORTHERN LOW. 3-HR PRESSURE FALL PATTERN DOES NOT RESOLVE THIS QUESTION AT PRESENT. EITHER WAY THE ADJOINING COLD FRONT MOVES THRU IN THE 06Z-09Z TIME FRAME. PLENTY OF UPPER SUPPORT THIS EVENING. SURFACE WINDS MOST FAVORABLE...OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST... ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. BEST ORGANIZED CONVECTION IS CURRENTLY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL IOWA...JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH THE BEST CAPES. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE EASTWARD...INCREASING IN STRENGTH WITH LATE AFTERNOON TEMPS...WITH THE BEST STRENGTH PROBABLY ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND HAIL. THE STRENGTH OF THE MCS WILL POSSIBLY INCREASING AS IT HEADS EAST INTO NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS LATE THIS EVENING. TRIPLE POINT UNCERTAINTIES DUE TO UNCERTAINTY OF TRACK OF SURFACE LOW...HOWEVER...ISOLATED TORNADOS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT JUST NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT THRU THE EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE THRU MIDNIGHT...THUS THE FLOOD WATCH ACROSS THE AREA DUE TO SATURATED SOILS MANY AREAS. LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD...A WEAK TROF WILL MOVE THRU THE AREA SATURDAY...WITH A STRONGER COLD FRONT POSSIBLY IN THE TUESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME. DVN... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. REA
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 3:20 AM CST, 16 hours 3 minutes before
IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-101000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED FORMAT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 420 AM CDT WED JUL 9 2003 ...WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA... NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE WILL BE A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND THIS EVENING ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN IOWA...NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER IOWA WILL ROLL EAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. THIS COMPLEX WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN TO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...WHICH MAY CAUSE FLOODING ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS. FLASH FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE...WITH THE GREATEST RISK FOUND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20...AND ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34. THERE IS ALSO A LESSER RISK OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THIS MORNING. BY THIS AFTERNOON...LOW PRESSURE WILL BEGIN MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN IOWA...WITH A COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME LARGE HAIL...ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN. A STATIONARY FRONT LAYING BETWEEN HIGHWAY 34 AND INTERSTATE 80 WILL INTERSECT THE COLD FRONT AS IT MOVES EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A RISK OF A FEW SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO ALONG THIS STATIONARY FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH SEVERE WEATHER...FLOODING...AND FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE NEXT THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL BE EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS WARM WEATHER RETURNS TO THE MIDWEST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL REPORTS AND FLOODING REPORTS WILL BE APPRECIATED. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING URL: HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DVN ERVIN
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 9, 4:01 PM CST, 3 hours 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
501 PM CDT WED JUL 09 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0915 AM 2 SW LOWDEN IA LIGHTNING
07/09/03 CEDAR LIGHTNING STRIKE KILLED
7 DAIRY COWS AND
DAMAGED A HOUSE.
REPORTED BY PUBLIC.Local storm report, Jul 9, 5:16 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
616 PM CDT WED JUL 09 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0612 PM GOOD HOPE IL .5 INCH HAIL
07/09/03 MCDONOUGH REPORTED BY STORM
SPOTTER.Local storm report, Jul 9, 5:33 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
633 PM CDT WED JUL 09 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0629 PM BUSHNELL IL .5 INCH HAIL
07/09/03 MCDONOUGH RELAYED BY SPOTTER.Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:18 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
718 PM CDT WED JUL 09 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0706 PM 1 S MILLERSBURG IA .25 INCH HAIL
07/09/03 IOWA REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.Local storm report, Jul 9, 6:32 PM CST, 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
732 PM CDT WED JUL 09 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0729 PM THORNBURG IA .25 INCH HAIL
07/09/03 KEOKUK REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.Local storm report, Jul 9, 7:11 PM CST, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
811 PM CDT WED JUL 09 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0729 PM HAYESVILLE IA .25 INCH HAIL
07/09/03 KEOKUK REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.The radar
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:27 UTC.
Event by event
5 funnel cloud, 5 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson
- When
- July 9, 8:25 PM CST to 8:38 PM CST
- Where
- Henderson County, Countywide
- Measured
- 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.867, -90.967
Trees & wires down southern half of county
Funnel Cloud, Mercer
- When
- July 9, 8:28 PM CST to 8:32 PM CST
- Where
- Mercer County, New Boston
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Funnel Cloud, Henderson
- When
- July 9, 8:35 PM CST to 8:37 PM CST
- Where
- Henderson County, Rozetta
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.818, -90.925 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
3 funnels
Funnel Cloud, Mercer
- When
- July 9, 8:39 PM CST to 8:42 PM CST
- Where
- Mercer County, 3 mi N of Seaton
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 41.205, -90.741 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Hancock
- When
- July 9, 8:43 PM CST to 8:47 PM CST
- Where
- Hancock County, Augusta
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $40,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 40.233, -90.950
Tree limbs down
Thunderstorm Wind, Warren
- When
- July 9, 8:49 PM CST to 8:55 PM CST
- Where
- Warren County, Roseville
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 40.733, -90.667
Trees down
Thunderstorm Wind, McDonough
- When
- July 9, 8:50 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- McDonough County, Macomb
- Measured
- 51 kt (59 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.467, -90.667
Trees & wires down
Thunderstorm Wind, McDonough
- When
- July 9, 8:50 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- McDonough County, 2 mi S of Macomb
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.450, -90.667
Power lines down 1000 North Rd
Hail, McDonough
- When
- July 9, 8:52 PM CST to 8:53 PM CST
- Where
- McDonough County, Macomb
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.467, -90.667
Heavy Rain, McDonough
- When
- July 9, 8:55 PM CST to 9:10 PM CST
- Where
- McDonough County, Macomb
- Measured
- 0.6
- Property damage
- $2,000
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 40.456, -90.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Street flooding
Heavy Rain, McDonough
- When
- July 9, 9:30 PM CST to 10:30 PM CST
- Where
- McDonough County, Macomb
- Measured
- 1
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 40.456, -90.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Second storm with more street flooding
Funnel Cloud, Hancock
- When
- July 9, 9:33 PM CST to 9:35 PM CST
- Where
- Hancock County, Tioga
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 40.404, -91.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- 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.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, July 9, 2003
- Heat in Missouri, July 9 to 11, 2003
- Flooding in Indiana, July 9 to 20, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, July 9, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Indiana, July 9 to 10, 2003
- Flash Flood and Hail in Iowa, July 9, 2003
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in Ohio, July 9, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, July 9, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Hail in West Virginia, July 9, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Virginia, July 9, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Missouri, July 9, 2003
- Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, July 9, 2003
More
Every storm in Illinois in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2003
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: 5368290, 5368291, 5368292, 5368293, 5368294, 5368295, 5368296, 5368297, 5368783, 5368298, 5368299, 5368300, 5368782.