A cluster of showers and thunderstorms moved eastward across northern Missouri and central Illinois during the evening of July 21, with one storm cell producing some damaging winds in parts of Mc Donough County.
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 DVN wrote it up.
A cluster of showers and thunderstorms moved eastward across northern Missouri and central Illinois during the evening of July 21, with one storm cell producing some damaging winds in parts of Mc Donough County.
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 21, 1:57 PM CST, 5 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 257 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 .SYNOPSIS... FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION TONIGHT...WITH FRONT GRADUALLY SHIFTING SOUTHWARD. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION SHOULD BRING MORE PLEASANT CONDITIONS FOR MID WEEK. FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WARM FRONT RETURNS TO THE REGION BRINGING BACK THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. ANOTHER HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM DROPS SOUTHWARD INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST FOR THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND...WITH ACTIVE FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEARBY IN MO. && .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY... FRONTAL BOUNDARY LIES ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA AND WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS TOWARDS EVENING. STRONG TEMPERATURE CONTRAST EXISTS WITH TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 90S TO NEAR 100 IN KS AND MO WHILE READINGS ONLY IN THE 70S IN SOUTHERN WI. AIRMASS IS CAPPED SOUTH OF BOUNDARY BUT SHOULD WEAKEN BY EVENING. 18Z SPECIAL BALLOON LAUNCH AT KDVN SHOWED 500 MB WIND SPEED OF 60 KNOTS WHICH WILL SUPPORT DAMAGING WINDS IN THE STRONGER STORMS. WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR BOWING SEGMENTS WHICH WILL ENHANCE WIND DAMAGE. WILL HAVE MENTION OF SEVERE IN THE GRIDS. BULK OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD BE OVER WITH BY MIDNIGHT WITH FRONT SAGGING FARTHER SOUTHWARD. WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS FOR TUESDAY IN OUR FAR SOUTHERN CWA WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN NORTHERN MO. OTHERWISE BULK OF THE CWA WILL HAVE QUIET WEATHER WITH GRADUALLY LOWERING HUMIDITIES. ..HAASE.. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... TUE NIGHT THROUGH WED STILL LOOKS TO BE A QUIET WEATHER PERIOD WITH AREA IN UPPER LEVEL NW FLOW BETWEEN NORTHERN PLAINS RIDGE AXIS AND LOW OVER EASTERN GREAT LAKES. AT SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE OVER WESTERN GREAT LAKES WILL FEED SEASONABLY COOL AND DRY AIR INTO THE REGION. THIS WILL MINS LOWS TO DROP INTO THE 50S NORTH OF I-80 WITH HIGHS IN UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT WILL BE LATE WED NIGHT INTO THU NIGHT AS UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TOPS THE RIDGE AXIS AND PASSES SE ACROSS THE REGION. THIS ALLOWS DEEPER MOISTURE TO SURGE NORTH INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. WILL KEEP LOW POPS WED NIGHT IN THE ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN CWFA FOR ELEVATED CONVECTION ON THE DEVELOPING NOCTURNAL JET. MODELS DEPICT MAIN SHORTWAVE AND STRONGEST FORCING ACROSS EASTERN IA THU MORNING AND HAVE NARROWED CHANCE POPS TO MAINLY THIS PERIOD. SLIGHT CHANCES MAINTAINED FOR THU NIGHT INTO FRI AS MODELS SUGGESTING LOW POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WITH PASSAGE OF WEAK COLD FRONT. FRI NIGHT THROUGH MON...NW FLOW CONTINUES WITH ECMWF MAINTAINING THE SYNOPTIC FRONT FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE GFS AND THUS KEEPING ANY POTENTIAL PRECIPITATION SOUTH OF THE AREA. HAVE MAINTAINED CONTINUITY WITH THIS SOLUTION WITH HIGHS IN 80S AND LOWS IN 60S THROUGHOUT. ..SHEETS.. && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO EARLY TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 30. MVFR TO OCNL IFR CONDITIONS IN THUNDERSTORMS. STORMS SHOULD GRADUALLY SHIFT SOUTH AND EAST OF THE TAF SITES BY MIDNIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT AND TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE GREAT LAKES. LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS LATER TONIGHT WITH NORTHEAST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS ON TUESDAY. ..HAASE.. && .DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IA...NONE. IL...NONE. MO...NONE. && HAASE/SHEETS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 312 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-221000- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 312 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO EARLY TONIGHT ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34. WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH IS THE MAIN THREAT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO EARLY TONIGHT BETWEEN HIGHWAY 30 AND HIGHWAY 34. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS A SECONDARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TONIGHT. HAASE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 535 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 IAZ067-076>078-087>089-ILZ024-220200- DES MOINES IA-HENRY IA-JEFFERSON IA-KEOKUK IA-LOUISA IA-MERCER IL- MUSCATINE IA-WASHINGTON IA- 535 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 ...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG EXPECTED BETWEEN 6 PM AND 8 AM... AT 520 PM CDT...A LINE OF INTESIFYING THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS EXTENDED ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR THAT WAS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. THIS LINE IS CAPABLE OF STRONG WINDS OF 30 TO OVER 45 MPH AND PEA SIZED HAIL. THESE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF OVER TWO INCHES AN HOUR. WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH TO AN INCH IS EXPECTED WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS WELL OVER AN INCH POSSIBLE. LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE WELL OVER AN INCH OF RAIN MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER. NICHOLS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TYPO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 538 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 IAZ067-076>078-087>089-ILZ024-220200- DES MOINES IA-HENRY IA-JEFFERSON IA-KEOKUK IA-LOUISA IA-MERCER IL- MUSCATINE IA-WASHINGTON IA- 538 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 ...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG EXPECTED BETWEEN 6 PM AND 8 PM... AT 520 PM CDT...A LINE OF INTESIFYING THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS EXTENDED ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR THAT WAS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. THIS LINE IS CAPABLE OF STRONG WINDS OF 30 TO OVER 45 MPH AND PEA SIZED HAIL. THESE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF OVER TWO INCHES AN HOUR. WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH TO AN INCH IS EXPECTED WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS WELL OVER AN INCH POSSIBLE. LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE WELL OVER AN INCH OF RAIN MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER. NICHOLS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 650 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 IAZ089-ILZ025-026-220200- DES MOINES IA-HENDERSON IL-WARREN IL- 650 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008 ...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG EXPECTED BETWEEN 7 PM AND 9 PM... AT 645 PM CDT...A LINE OF INTENSIFYING THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS EXTENDED FROM NEAR BURLINGTON TO GALESBURG THAT ARE MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH. THIS LINE IS CAPABLE OF PEA SIZED HAIL AND STRONG WINDS 30 TO OVER 45 MPH. THESE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES OF OVER TWO INCHES AN HOUR. AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF A HALF INCH TO AN INCH IS EXPECTED WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS WELL OVER AN INCH POSSIBLE. LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE WELL OVER AN INCH OF RAIN MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER. NICHOLS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
743 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0735 PM HAIL 3 S NEW LONDON 40.88N 91.41W
07/21/2008 E0.50 INCH HENRY IA PUBLIC
ESTIMATED SIZE, OCCURRED AT 735PM.
&&
WEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
814 PM CDT MON JUL 21 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0812 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 N BURLINGTON 40.82N 91.12W
07/21/2008 M1.00 INCH DES MOINES IA PUBLIC
WATER IN STREETS.
&&
BILLNThe Lincoln radar (KILX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:27 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph were observed 3 miles southeast of Bardolph, IL at 828 pm July 21.
Wind gusts measuring 65 mph were observed 3 miles northwest of Macomb, IL at 828 pm July 21.
Wind gusts estimated to be 60 to 65 mph flattened part of a corn field 5 miles southeast of Macomb, IL around 840 pm July 21.
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, July 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: 129320, 129323, 129325.