A strong cold front pushed into central Illinois on 7/8/08, triggering strong to severe thunderstorms. The storms produced wind gusts as high as 70 mph and widespread wind damage, particularly across east-central Illinois along and east of I-57.
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.
A strong cold front pushed into central Illinois on 7/8/08, triggering strong to severe thunderstorms. The storms produced wind gusts as high as 70 mph and widespread wind damage, particularly across east-central Illinois along and east of I-57. In addition, an EF0 tornado touched down across northwest Edgar 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 Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 8, 2:37 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 337 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 .UPDATE... ISSUED 337 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 STORMS ARE BECOMING ALIGNED FROM NORTH OF COLUMBIA MO TO SOUTH OF PEORIA. THE ORIENTATION IS ALONG THE STORM MOTION VECTOR WHICH WILL GREATLY ENHANCE THE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL TONIGHT. HAVE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE STORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. HAVE NOT EXTENDED IT INTO THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES YET...BUT WILL MONITOR FOR THE NEED OF AN EXTENSION. 04 && .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 222 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH EXTENDING FROM KANSAS CITY EASTWARD TO NEAR PEORIA HAS BECOME ACTIVE WITH CONVECTION SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A FEW HOURS FOR THE PREVIOUSLY OVERTURNED MORNING AIRMASS TO RECOVER. EXPECT STORMS TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD EAST AND INCREASE IN AERIAL COVERAGE THIS EVENING. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER LOCALIZED CELL-TRAINING AREAS...BUT THE HIGHER COVERAGE OF RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES WILL BE TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. ALONG WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALL...THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE VERY FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND STRONG WET MICROBURSTS. HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ALONG WITH MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL CREATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR ENHANCED WATER-LOADING AND RESULTING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...BUT THE RELATIVELY HIGH FREEZING LEVEL WILL HOLD DOWN HAIL SIZES. THE MAIN COLD FRONT IS ONLY JUST NOW ENTERING CENTRAL IOWA...AND IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN OUR NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT AND LIE PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE AREA BY 12Z WED. RAIN WILL END WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE...BUT THIS WILL LIKELY NOT OCCUR ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS DOWN THERE THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY WHICH IS SIMILAR TIMING TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST PACKAGES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN DOMINATE THROUGH FRIDAY BRINGING DRIER AIR AND SLIGHT COOLER TEMPERATURES. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... MOST LONG TERM GUIDANCE IS NOW ON BOARD WITH THE THEME OF A STRONGER UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA LATE THIS WEEK. THIS SHOULD BUCKLE THE SOUTHEAST STATES UPPER RIDGE AND ALLOW A COLD FRONT TO COME DOWN INTO THE MIDWEST ON SATURDAY. PREVIOUS FORECASTER PUT IN CHANCE POPS FOR SATURDAY AND THIS TIMING STILL LOOKS ON TRACK. WILL ALSO EXTEND THE CHANCE POPS INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. THE FRONT BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN ON SUNDAY...AND ALTHOUGH OBJECTIVE GUIDANCE LOWERS THE POPS WITH THE FRONT EXPECTED TO BE TO OUR SOUTH...WILL HAND ON TO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR SUNDAY IN CASE THE FRONT ENDS UP EVEN SLOWER. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO CORRESPONDINGLY BE COOLER SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WITH THE CANADIAN AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA. THE GFS AND ECMWF BEGIN TO DIFFER AGAIN ON HOW FAST THE FRONT RETURNS TO THE NORTH BEGINNING TUESDAY. THE GFS APPEARS TOO AGRESSIVE IN CHEWING SUCH A STRONG LOW EASTWARD INTO THE THROAT OF THE SURFACE RIDGE...BUT EVEN THE ECMWF HINTS AT THE FRONT MOVING/MODIFYING NORTH BY THEN. SO AFTER A DRY SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...WILL STICK IN SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR TUESDAY. 04 && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1215 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT OVER CENTRAL IL TERMINALS DURING MID AND LATE AFTERNOON. A PREFRONTAL TROF JUST SOUTH OF I-72 MAY IGNITE A BAND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS SE OF I-72 INTO INDIANA. COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL WI THROUGH CENTRAL IA AND SE NEBRASKA WILL MOVE SE INTO NW IL BY SUNSET AND THROUGH I-72 BY MIDNIGHT/05Z. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH FROM NW TO SE DURING THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE MVFR CEILINGS OF 2 TO 3K FT AND IFR TO MVFR VISIBILITIES OF 2 TO 3 MILES. SCATTERED CLOUDS OF 3 TO 5K FT AND BROKEN MID LEVEL CLOUDS OF 10 TO 15K FT TO DECREASE AT PIA JUST BEFORE 12Z/TUE AND ALONG I-72 AT CMI...DEC AND SPI BY 14Z/TUE. BREEZY WSW WINDS 10 TO 15 KTS AND GUSTS OF 15 TO 25 KTS TO DIMINISH WEST AROUND 7 TO 11 KTS TONIGHT AND NNW WED MORNING. HUETTL && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 13Z WED FOR ILZ049>054-061 &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 200 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>046-048-051>057-061-091100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN- MACON-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MOULTRIE-PEORIA-PIATT-SANGAMON- SCHUYLER-SHELBY-STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-WOODFORD- 200 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING MID AND LATE AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...AND CONTINUE INTO MID EVENING WHEN THE FRONT FINALLY PASSES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...DUE TO A VERY MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. REMAIN ALERT FOR STREET AND ROAD FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING...WHEN THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 3 AND 10 PM CDT. ILZ047-049-050-091100- CASS-MORGAN-SCOTT- 200 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING MID AND LATE AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...AND CONTINUE INTO MID EVENING WHEN THE FRONT FINALLY PASSES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... DUE TO A VERY MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. REMAIN ALERT FOR STREET AND ROAD FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING...WHEN THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. THE ILLINOIS RIVER WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD AT BEARDSTOWN AND POINTS DOWNSTREAM THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 3 AND 10 PM CDT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-091100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 200 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING LATE AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...AND CONTINUE TONIGHT WHEN THE FRONT FINALLY PASSES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE... DUE TO A VERY MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. REMAIN ALERT FOR STREET AND ROAD FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER ACROSS SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY AS THE FRONT GRADUALLY EXITS THE AREA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...WHEN THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BETWEEN 5 PM AND 1 AM CDT. HUETTL
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:11 UTC.
20 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees were blown down just south of Mason City.
A tree was blown down on 1350th Avenue.
Tree limbs were snapped in the town of Jerome.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down on 9th Street, as well as near Bergen Park and Clear Lake Avenue.
Multiple trees were blown down at the junction of county roads 2700 N and 800 E.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Decatur.
A barn was destroyed near Moweaqua.
Power lines were blown down in Pana.
Trees were blown down near the Macon/Piatt County line just west of Cerro Gordo.
Numerous trees were blown down in Tower Hill, some onto roofs of houses.
Several trees were blown down near Allenville.
Two foot diameter tree broken off two to three feet above the ground between Allenville and Coles.
A two-foot diameter tree was snapped off.
A farm machine shed was blown down.
The roof was damaged at Central Illinois Transmission in Mattoon. There were also several trees and power lines blown down in the area.
A mobile home was blown over along US-45 2 miles north of Mattoon.
Several trees were blown down. Falling tree limbs caused damage to some vehicles in the town of Kansas.
Several trees were blown down. Falling tree limbs cuased damage to a few vehicles in Brocton.
A trained spotter sighted a tornado for a few minutes just west of highway 1 and near 1600 Street. It damaged several pole barns and grain bins before dissipating.
A tree was blown down and blocked the westbound lane of Clarksville Road.
Several trees were blown down at the cemetary on High Street on the north side of Paris.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2008Warnings 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: 123350, 123351, 123352, 123732, 123734, 123735, 123739, 123740, 123742, 123743, 123744, 123745, 123746, 123747, 123749, 123750, 123752, 123755, 123349, 123757, 123759.