Thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of a warm front over east central and southeast Illinois during the afternoon hours of February 5th. Many of the thunderstorms on either side of the front produced heavy rains and flooding.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ILX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of a warm front over east central and southeast Illinois during the afternoon hours of February 5th. Many of the thunderstorms on either side of the front produced heavy rains and flooding. The storms to the south of the warm front also produced damaging winds and hail, especially along and south of the I-70 corridor. The flooding produced numerous road closures across the region, while the winds produced primarily tree, power line and power pole damage. However, several structures received minor, mainly roofing damage and one mobile home was destroyed.
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 Feb 5, 12:31 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1231 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1040 AM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON... WITH WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING BLOSSOMING AREA OF CONVECTION ACROSS MO/IA IN AREA OF RICH MID-LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND STEEP ISENTROPIC LIFT UP AND OVER QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY THAT IS DRAPED ALONG THE I-70/I-44 CORRIDOR. LEADING EDGE OF MODERATE RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS IS EDGING INTO THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE CWA... JUST ABOUT UP TO A SPI-DEC-MTO LINE. RAIN SHOULD MOVE UP TO A PIA-BMI-CMI LINE BY NOON. OVERALL FORECAST HANDLES THIS VERY WELL. WILL MAKE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO MAX T AND INCREASE QPF ACROSS THE WEST AS WELL CONSIDERING WHAT IS COMING IN. HARDIMAN && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1222 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 BAND OF MODERATE RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTH... SHOULD MOVE INTO BMI/CMI BETWEEN 18Z-19Z. EXPECT THIS WILL HELP TO BREAK UP THE DENSE FOG THAT REMAINS AT THOSE TWO TERMINALS...HOWEVER CIGS WILL REMAIN IFR THROUGH THE PERIOD. EMBEDDED THUNDER SEEMS TO BE LIMITED TO RIGHT NEAR THE VORT MAX WHICH SHOWS UP NICELY ON RADAR... AND ALONG THE BACK EDGE OF THE PRECIP. ATTEMPTED TO TIME THIS INTO TAF SITES... MAINLY CARRIED AS VCTS EXCEPT TEMPO TS AT SPI AND DEC. SPI BEING CLOSE TO THE VORT MAX TRACK AND DEC BEING DOWNSTREAM OF CURRENT CG STRIKES. BIG DRY SLOT BETWEEN IMPULSES... THOUGH THIS IS LIKELY TO STAY SOUTH OF A PIA-BMI LINE BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS. ENTIRE AREA WILL BE IN BROAD AREA OF STEEP ISENTROPIC LIFT WITH PLENTY OF MOISTURE... SO CANNOT OUTRULE SHOWERS REDEVELOPING WITHIN THE DRY SLOT... SO KEPT SHRA IN THE TAFS FOR SPI/DEC FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. CONVECTION WITH THE SECOND IMPULSE IS REALLY JUST STARTING TO GET GOING NOW ACROSS SW MO/NE OK... AND EXPECT THIS WILL BEGIN TO BLOSSOM LIKE THE FIRST IMPULSE DID OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS... THUS SHORTENING ANY PRECIP-FREE WINDOW SIGNIFICANTLY. HARDIMAN && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 206 AM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 VERY ACTIVE SHORT-TERM SHAPING UP ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS...AS VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM TRACKS FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WHILE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST KILX CWA. MEANWHILE...BAND OF DEFORMATION ZONE SNOW WILL IMPACT THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS LOW PRESSURE LIFTING INTO NORTHEAST ILLINOIS...WITH TRAILING FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWESTWARD TO ANOTHER DEVELOPING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. ALOFT...TROUGH CONTINUES TO DEEPEN ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST...WHILE FLOW BECOMES INCREASINGLY SOUTHWESTERLY OVER THE MIDWEST. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY FRONTAL BOUNDARY CURRENTLY ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL SETTLE SOUTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHEAST KILX CWA THIS MORNING...TAKING THE MAIN BAND OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH IT. FURTHER NORTH...A LULL IN THE PRECIP WILL BE NOTED DURING THE MORNING HOURS...WITH PERHAPS A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS. AREAS OF FOG WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING...HOWEVER VISIBILITIES MAY TEND TO IMPROVE AS SOMEWHAT DRIER LOW-LEVEL AIR FILTERS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. EVEN STILL...WITH ALL THE MOISTURE LEFT BEHIND FROM THE RAPID SNOWMELT AND LAST EVENINGS RAIN...WILL BE LEAVING THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES STILL EXIST AMONG THE MODELS REGARDING THE DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY. THE GENERAL TREND HAS BEEN TO SLOW THE FEATURE...HOWEVER THE BIG QUESTION IS TO WHAT EXTENT. BASED ON 00Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS...THE UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS APPEARS TO STILL BE DIGGING...THUS SUPPORTING A SLOWER EVOLUTION. 00Z 5 FEB GFS DOES NOT LATCH ONTO THIS TREND...WHILE THE NAM-WRF TAKES IT TO AN EXTREME BY SLOWING BY ABOUT 6 TO 12 HOURS FROM ITS PREVIOUS RUNS. MEANWHILE...THE ECMWF/CANADIAN REPRESENTS A MORE REASONABLE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD SOLUTION...WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED FOR THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK FROM OKLAHOMA INTO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BY 00Z WED...RESULTING IN RAIN OVERSPREADING THE ENTIRE KILX CWA DURING THE AFTERNOON. BEST INSTABILITY WILL EXIST ACROSS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS...WHERE LATEST DAY 1 OUTLOOK FROM SPC INDICATES SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE. FURTHER NORTH...MUCH MORE STABLE AIRMASS WILL RESULT IN MAINLY RAIN...WITH PERHAPS A RUMBLE OF THUNDER. WITH STRONG LLJ TRANSPORTING DEEP MOISTURE NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO...POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR HEAVY RAINFALL LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-55. CURRENT FLOOD WATCH COVERS THIS THREAT WELL AND WILL NOT BE ALTERED. ONCE LOW TRACKS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY...COLDER AIR WILL BEGIN TO FILTER IN FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS EVENING. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST A PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z...BEFORE THE PROFILE COOLS ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ALL SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. FURTHER EAST AND SOUTH...RAIN WILL CONTINUE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE EVENING...BEFORE MIXING WITH SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS LOCATIONS WEST OF I-57. DEFORMATION ZONE STILL EXPECTED TO SET UP ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS INTO IOWA THIS EVENING...THEN GRADUALLY SHIFT E/NE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST KILX CWA OVERNIGHT. END RESULT WILL BE A PERIOD OF SNOW...MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A RUSHVILLE TO MINONK LINE. BASED ON EXPECTED QPF...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY RANGE BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES ACROSS THIS AREA...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. BASED ON THE SNOWFALL AND THE EXPECTED PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN...WILL BE ISSUING A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ALL COUNTIES CURRENTLY UNDER THE WINTER STORM WATCH. LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY...BEFORE TAPERING OFF AND COMING TO AN END BY LATE AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE STORM SYSTEM...RESULTING IN CLEARING AND COLDER WEATHER WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WILL UNDERCUT NUMERIC GUIDANCE BY A FEW DEGREES FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS...DUE TO EXPECTED SNOW COVER. NEXT SYSTEM QUICKLY APPROACHES ON THURSDAY...HOWEVER IT CONTINUES TO LOOK WEAK AND MOISTURE STARVED...SO WILL ONLY MENTION SLIGHT CHANCE POPS AT THIS TIME. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY COOL AND DRY WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH THE EXTENDED. BOTH GFS/ECMWF BRING FAST-MOVING DISTURBANCES THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NIGHT...HOWEVER THESE FEATURES ARE QUITE WEAK...SO WILL MAINTAIN CURRENT DRY FORECAST THROUGH MONDAY. BARNES && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT FOR ILZ044>046-051>057- 061>063-066>068-071>073. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-047. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1229 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-047-061200- CASS-FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MASON-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-STARK-TAZEWELL- WOODFORD- 1229 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT TOWARD THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD THE ENTIRE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE RAIN EXPECTED AS WELL. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW THIS EVENING. MINOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED...WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW LIKELY BY THE TIME THE SNOW ENDS WEDNESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ACCUMULATING SNOWS WILL END BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY AS THE STRONG STORM SYSTEM LIFTS TO OUR NORTH AND EAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW AND OR ICE REPORTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED FROM OUR SPOTTERS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ILZ038-042-043-048>050-061200- DE WITT-LOGAN-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-SCOTT- 1229 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT TOWARD THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED. MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED INTO THIS EVENING WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES...WHICH WILL BRING MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS TO FLOOD OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO SNOW LATER TONIGHT AS THE LOW PUSHES INTO CENTRAL INDIANA. MINOR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED BY TIME THE SNOW TAPERS OFF LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ044>046-051>055-061200- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT-SANGAMON- VERMILION- 1229 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT TOWARD THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE SYSTEM APPROACHES. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...HOWEVER SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY LATE TONIGHT WHICH WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING CONCERNS FOR THE LOCAL RIVERS AND STREAMS ACROSS THE AREA. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO SNOW TONIGHT. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED BY TIME THE SNOW TAPERS OFF LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ056-057-061>063-066>068-071>073-061200- CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER- LAWRENCE-RICHLAND-SHELBY- 1229 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL LIFT NORTHEAST OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING AS THE STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...WITH THE THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT...ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE AND MAY RESULT IN FLOODING. RIVERS AND STREAMS IN A FEW AREAS ARE ALREADY BANKFULL AND WILL PROBABLY GO IN TO FLOOD WITH THE EXPECTED HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE NEXT 12 TO 18 HOURS. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES WEDNESDAY MORNING. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF AN EFFINGHAM TO MARSHALL LINE. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL OCCUR FROM 600 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT. SMITH
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:03 UTC.
10 flash flood, 9 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Many streets were flooded on the west side of Effingham. One vehicle become stuck in high water near the Little Wabash River.
Many roads were flooded in Shelby county. Two vehicles drove into flooded roadways and were swept into ditches.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Many roads were flooded in Douglas county.
A mobile home was destroyed 7 miles south of Altamont. In addition, numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous roads were flooded across Clay county. One car stalled in the high water in Flora.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down over northern Jasper county. Several structures sustained minor roofing and siding damage. At least 29 dairy cows were electrocuted when a downed power line fell on their barn. One unanchored mobile home was destroyed.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down between Oblong and Robinson.
Many roads were flooded in Moultrie county.
Several roads were flooded near the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River and severe flooding occurred near the North Fork of the Vermilion River. A few homes near Danville were evacuated due to the rising water near the river. Two vehicles were swept off the road by flood waters into a ditch.
Flooding closed 9th Street in Mattoon between Stinson Avenue and Old State Road. One vehicle stalled in the high water.
Salt Fork River was over its banks near Sidney. Also, many streets in Sidney had over a foot of water flowing across them, causing multiple stalled cars.
Several roads were flooded across Richland county.
Allerton Road was impassible near the Sangamon River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2008
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: 83656, 83661, 83622, 83623, 83671, 83621, 83691, 83607, 83610, 83609, 83613, 83617, 83603, 83598, 83599, 83600, 83666, 83677, 83649, 83695, 83690, 83693.