Several rounds of thunderstorms moved through central Illinois during the morning hours of the 3rd. The main threat during the early morning hours was heavy rain and flooding, while a large bow echo later in the morning produced widespread wind damage.
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.
Several rounds of thunderstorms moved through central Illinois during the morning hours of the 3rd. The main threat during the early morning hours was heavy rain and flooding, while a large bow echo later in the morning produced widespread wind damage.
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 Jun 2, 11:47 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1247 AM CDT TUE JUN 3 2008 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 822 PM CDT MON JUN 2 2008 CONVECTION STARTING TO INCREASE TO OUR WEST AS WARM ADVECTION PATTERN SETTING UP ACRS THE REGION. PROFILERS SHOWING 850 MB WINDS UP TO 35 TO 40 KTS ACRS THE SRN PLAINS WITH MODEL DATA CONTINUING TO SUGGEST 60KTS LATER TNT WITH STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO NRN MO...SRN IA AND WRN IL. SPC ALREADY THINKING OF ISSUING A WATCH FOR AT LEAST A PART OF WRN IL THIS EVENING BASED ON EVENING RADAR TRENDS. 00Z ILX SOUNDING STILL VERY DRY AND STABLE BUT WITH THE STRONG ADVECTION OF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY LATER TNT...WE SHOULD SEE ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR STRONG ELEVATED STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL. WIND THREAT MAY INCREASE LATE TNT...MORE TWDS DAWN AS WIND MAX APPROACHES WRN IL. WILL HOLD OFF ANY ZONE UPDATE UNTIL SPC DECIDES HOW TO ALIGN THE WATCH ACRS PARTS OF OUR AREA. WL SEND OUT THE UPDATE ONCE THAT IS DECIDED. SMITH && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1246 AM CDT TUE JUN 3 2008...FOR THE 06Z TAFS THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SPI AND DEC OVER THE NEXT 3 HOURS OR SO. PIA...BMI AND CMI SHOULD REMAIN JUST NORTH OF ANY HAIL STORMS. I HIT SPI AND DEC HARDER IN THE TEMPOS FOR IFR VIS AND GS FOR HAIL. WINDS IN GENERAL HAVE NOT BEEN TOO GUSTY IN THE STORMS...DUE TO THE ELEVATED NATURE OF THE STORMS. THERE APPEARS TO BE ANOTHER STORM COMPLEX APPROACHING CENTRAL ILLINOIS FROM THE NW WHICH MAY ARRIVE IN THE MORNING. THERE IS SOME INDICATION IT MAY WEAKEN WHEN IT ARRIVES...SO FOR NOW WILL NOT MENTION STRONG MORNING STORMS IN THE TAFS JUST YET. ADDITIONAL STORMS MAY DEVELOP LATE AFTERNOON ON TUESDAY...AS WE BREAK THE CAP AND TAP INTO SOME VERY UNSTABLE AIR. WILL WAIT TO HIT THOSE VERY HARD TOO. WILL MOST LIKELY TEMPO SOME IFR AS THE TIME APPROACHES. SHIMON && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 300 PM CDT MON JUN 2 2008 SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... COMPLICATED QPF SITUATION UNFOLDING FOR TONIGHT INTO THE FIRST PART OF TUESDAY. FIRST OFF FOR THIS EVENING...HAVE ALREADY SEEN ISOLATED CONVECTION DEVELOP OVER THE EXTREME EAST THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...REMNANTS FROM DECREASING MORNING ACTIVITY ARE WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE TO OUR NORTHWEST ZONES AS AN ELEVATED ZONE OF LIFT EXTENDS FROM AROUND WATERLOO TO WEST OF PEORIA. THEREFORE FOR POPS THROUGH 06Z...WILL INDICATE ISOLATED OR SCATTERED WORDING IN THOSE AREAS. AFTER 06Z...ATTENTION TURNS TO THE PLAINS WHERE THE NEXT MCS IS EXPECTED TO FIRE UP THIS EVENING AND ROLL EAST/SOUTHEAST INTO ILLINOIS. ONGOING ACTIVITY ACROSS MISSOURI HAS TEMPORARILY INTERRUPTED THE FLOW OF DEEPER MOISTURE INTO ILLINOIS...BUT THIS WILL CHANGE THE LOW LEVEL JET REDEVELOPS OUT WEST AND FEEDS CONVECTION UP AND OVER THE UPPER RIDGE POSITION. OVERALL SYNOPTIC PATTERN FAVORS A POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS...BUT CONFIDENCE IN WHERE THE HEAVY RAIN BAND SETS UP PRECLUDES A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NOW. OVERALL QPF FORECASTS FAVOR A 1 TO 1.5 INCH BAND FROM SOUTHEAST IOWA INTO SOUTHERN INDIANA...WHICH IS BELOW FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE. WILL MENTION HEAVY RAINFALL AND HIGHLIGHT THE QPF POTENTIAL IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...AS WELL AS RAISE POPS TO CATEGORICAL ACROSS THE WEST. AS THE ANTICIPATED THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX MOVES ACROSS THE AREA ON TUESDAY MORNING...ONE OR MORE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL PROBABLY BE GENERATED. SYNOPTIC MODELS PLACE AN EAST-WEST WARM FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AT 18Z TUESDAY...BUT THE EFFECTIVE BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY LIE FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. WILL THEREFORE KEEP LIKELY POPS GOING THROUGH THE DAY AND EVENING ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE AREA. MESOSCALE TRENDS MAKE A DIFFICULT FORECAST FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. WITH THE NEXT MAJOR TROUGH DEEPENING IN THE ROCKIES TOWARD MIDWEEK...DOWNSTREAM HEIGHTS WILL BE RISING WHICH SHOULD BEGIN TO SHUNT THE MAIN BAROCLINIC ZONE FURTHER NORTH OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS ON WEDNESDAY FOR REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT ACTIVITY...THEN GO DRY FOR THURSDAY WHEN WE SHOULD BE FIRMLY ENTRENCHED IN A HOT AND CAPPED WARM SECTOR. HIGHS WILL LIKELY REACH 90 TO 95 IN MOST AREAS. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY... STRONG UPPER TROUGH IN THE ROCKIES ON THURSDAY WILL MOVE NORTHEAST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY 12Z FRIDAY. THE TIMING OF THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MODEL RUNS AND THIS SPELLS ANOTHER POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER EVENT FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THE SURFACE LOW SHOULD BEGIN FRIDAY AROUND MINNESOTA WITH ITS COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTH ACROSS EASTERN IOWA INTO WESTERN MISSOURI. THE FRONT SHOULD SLOW DOWN FRIDAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES MORE NORTH THAN EAST...SO WILL RESTRICT LIKELY POPS TO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE DAY. AS THE FRONT MOVES INTO WESTERN ILLINOIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON...STORMS WILL INCREASE AND PUSH INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. THE FRONT SHOULD THEN SLOW DOWN AND STALL OUT SATURDAY AS THE ASSOCIATED UPPER TROUGH MOVES INTO CANADA AND LEAVES THE FRONT BEHIND. AFTER THAT...TROUGHING WILL REDEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN CONUS SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH AN UPPER RIDGE REESTABLISHING ITSELF ACROSS THE SOUTH. ANY REMNANTS OF THE SATURDAY FRONT SHOULD THEN LIFT NORTH AND PLACE ILLINOIS BACK INTO THE HOT TEMPERATURES AND A CAPPED AIRMASS...WITH THE MAIN SYNOPTIC BAROCLINIC ZONE TO OUR NORTH. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 333 PM CDT MON JUN 2 2008 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>051-031100- CASS-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD- MORGAN-PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 333 PM CDT MON JUN 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH TOWARD THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE THE TRIGGER FOR OTHER POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL AGAIN BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. ANOTHER PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. THE BEST CHANCES FOR STRONG STORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER MIDNIGHT. ILZ044>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-031100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS- EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND- SHELBY-VERMILION- 333 PM CDT MON JUN 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH TOWARD THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE THE TRIGGER FOR OTHER POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL AGAIN BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. ANOTHER PERIOD OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY. THE BEST CHANCES FOR STRONG STORMS WILL BE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. GOETSCH
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:11 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down between Springfield, Rochester, and Berry. A large tree fell on a home in Berry and damaged it.
A barn and house were damaged in Edinburg. The house damage was primarily caused by falling trees.
Hail to golf ball size caused damage to the Alsey Brick Factory. Numerous vehicles and homes also sustained hail damage.
A large tree was blown down onto a house and a car. Also, windows were blown out at the Alsey Brick Factory.
Numerous streets were flooded in and around Paris.
Numerous streets were flooded in and around Newman.
A barn door was blown in northwest of Flora and numerous tree limbs were blown down.
Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down in Rushville.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in Havana and across much of Mason County.
Several large tree limbs were blown down.
Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down across Menard County. A concentrated area of 17 power poles was blown down on Route 29 just north of Greenview.
Numerous trees, large tree limbs, and power lines were blown down. Measured gust was reported at Springfield airport.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down from Cornland, to Mount Pulaski, to Chestnut. Also, a grain bin and machine shed were destroyed, and a car wash lost part of its roof in Mount Pulaski.
Large tree limbs were blown down and caused roof damage to a house.
Tree limbs and power lines were blown down.
A trailer was flipped over.
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, June 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: 113256, 113258, 113259, 113260, 113262, 119913, 119914, 113263, 113272, 113264, 113265, 113266, 113267, 113268, 113269, 113270, 113271.