A landspout tornado developed over Richland County, 5 miles south southeast of Olney. The tornado briefly touched down in a field.
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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 landspout tornado developed over Richland County, 5 miles south southeast of Olney. The tornado briefly touched down in a field. No damage was reported. In addition, heavy rains caused flash flooding southeast of Olney.
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 May 27, 8:49 AM CST, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 949 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 949 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 VERY COMPLEX FORECAST SCENARIO TODAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. TEMPERATURES ARE THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH A COLD FRONT LYING JUST SOUTH OF I-70 LATE THIS MORNING AND A BRISK NORTHEAST WIND IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH THE MID TO UPPER 50S NORTH OF A RUSHVILLE-LINCOLN-CHAMPAIGN LINE...ESPECIALLY WITH THE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND T-STORMS AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER OVER THE AREA NOW. THE COMPLICATING FACTOR IS THAT ONLY 1-2 HOURS OF SUN LATE THIS AFTERNOON WOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO SHOOT UP PRETTY QUICK. NEAR THE FRONT...TEMPS ARE AT THEIR MAX NOW AND WILL DROP OFF PRETTY QUICK AS EVIDENCED BY THE CURRENT MID 50S AT MATTOON AND LOWER 70S IN EFFINGHAM. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...HIGHS SHOULD CLIMB TOWARD 80 FROM FLORA-OLNEY-LAWRENCEVILLE BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...THEN DROP AFTER THAT. LATE THIS MORNING THERE WERE NO SHOWERS OR T-STORMS ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-72. HOWEVER...THAT WILL CHANGE BY THIS AFTERNOON AS REMNANTS OF A DECAYING MCS AND ITS ASSOCIATED UPPER SUPPORT MOVE INTO CENTRAL AND SE IL. THE BEST CHANCES IN THE 70 PERCENT RANGE WILL REMAIN IN SE IL AS THE UPPER SUPPORT INTERACTS WITH THE FRONT AND HIGHER DEWPOINT AIR. MILLER && .AVIATION... ISSUED 642 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 COLD FRONT SLOWLY DRIFTING SOUTH THIS MORNING...WHICH BROUGHT A QUICK END TO THE FOG AT KCMI...BUT IS STRUGGLING TO PUSH THE DRIER AIRMASS INTO SPI/DEC. SHOULD SEE FOG DISSIPATE BY 14Z. NARROW BAND OF LOWER CLOUDS NOTED ON LEADING EDGE OF COLD FRONT... RESULTING IN TEMPO PERIODS OF OVC IFR CONDITIONS. OVERALL... EXPECT MID-LEVEL BKN-OVC TO OVERTAKE AREA...WITH SOME DIURNAL DEVELOPMENT OF CU/SCU BEHIND THE FRONT TOWARDS MIDDAY. A FEW SHOWERS OR ISO THUNDER WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN TERMINALS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON AS A SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. HOWEVER... THE BETTER THREAT FOR SHRA/TSRA WILL BE SOUTH OF THE FRONT WHICH SHOULD KEEP TSRA THREAT SOUTH OF OUR TERMINALS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. HARDIMAN && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 208 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 MAIN CONCERN IN THE SHORT-TERM WILL BE RAIN CHANCES TODAY AND TONIGHT...AS FRONT SLOWLY SINKS SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA. IN THE LONGER-TERM...ATTENTION TURNS TO NEXT APPROACHING SYSTEM BY THE END OF THE WEEK. 06Z SURFACE CHART SHOWS COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES ACROSS NORTHWEST ILLINOIS BACK INTO KANSAS. FRONT IS LARGELY INACTIVE AT THIS POINT...WITH MAIN CONVECTION OCCURRING FURTHER WEST ACROSS OKLAHOMA/EASTERN KANSAS IN ASSOCIATION WITH STRONGER CONVERGENCE AND BETTER LOW-LEVEL INFLOW. ADDITIONAL CONVECTION IS BEGINNING TO FIRE NORTH OF THE FRONT ACROSS NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA...AS A WEAK SHORT-WAVE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MCS CURRENTLY ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK E/SE EARLY THIS MORNING...MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS. THIS FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO STAY SOUTH OF THE KILX CWA...HOWEVER SHOWERS/STORMS DEVELOPING FURTHER NORTH MAY MAKE IT INTO THE AREA LATER THIS MORNING. MODELS HAVE BEEN VERY UNRELIABLE WITH THEIR QPF FIELDS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS...AND MUST BE TAKEN WITH A GRAIN OF SALT AGAIN TODAY. NAM-WRF TENDS TO KEEP CENTRAL ILLINOIS DRY FOR MUCH OF THE DAY...WITH PRECIP PERHAPS COMING IN FROM THE WEST BY LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING. MEANWHILE...GFS IS MUCH MORE BULLISH WITH CURRENT PRECIP ACROSS NEBRASKA/IOWA...BRINGING IT ACROSS THE AREA IN FULL FORCE TODAY. WITH FRONTAL BOUNDARY SAGGING SOUTHWARD AND DRIER AIR SLOWLY WORKING ITS WAY IN FROM THE N/NE...THINK GFS MAY BE A BIT OVERDONE. HOWEVER...WITH VERY MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT AND GIVEN PRESENCE OF UPPER WAVE TRACKING ACROSS THE AREA...THINK NAM-WRF MAY BE UNDERDONE. WILL THEREFORE MAINTAIN CHANCE POPS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS TODAY...WITH LIKELY POPS ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70 IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE SYNOPTIC BOUNDARY. RUC AND 4KM NMM-WRF BOTH SUGGEST AT LEAST SCATTERED DEVELOPMENT ALONG FRONT LATER TODAY...AND THINK THIS SOLUTION SEEMS PLAUSIBLE. WITH PLENTY OF CLOUDS AROUND AND N/NE WINDS DEVELOPING BEHIND FRONT...TEMPS WILL BE QUITE A BIT COOLER THAN THEY WERE YESTERDAY. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE MIDDLE 60S ACROSS THE NORTH...TO THE UPPER 70S FAR SOUTH. STILL SOME DISCREPANCY AMONG THE MODELS CONCERNING PRECIP FORECAST FOR TONIGHT. BOTH NAM-WRF/GFS CONTINUE TO BRING ANOTHER WAVE ACROSS THE AREA...RESULTING IN A CONTINUATION OF RAIN CHANCES THROUGH THE NIGHT. STILL FEEL THIS SOLUTION IS SUSPECT...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT UPPER WAVE WILL BE EAST OF THE REGION BY TONIGHT AND UNSEASONABLY STRONG SURFACE HIGH WILL BE BUILDING SOUTHWARD. WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH...WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCES FURTHER NORTH ALONG THE I-72 CORRIDOR. NEXT QUESTION WILL BE HOW MUCH CLEARING WILL OCCUR ON WEDNESDAY AND WHAT THE RESULTING HIGH TEMPS WILL BE. COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO SLIDE SOUTHWARD...HOWEVER HEART OF HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS FURTHER NORTH ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. AS A RESULT...LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WILL LIKELY BE SLOW TO EXIT. GFS IS THE MOST PESSIMISTIC FOR ANY CLEARING...WHILE NAM-WRF CLEARS THINGS OUT QUITE NICELY DURING THE AFTERNOON. DESPITE WEAKLY CYCLONIC UPPER FLOW AND N/NE SURFACE WINDS...THINK STRONG LATE MAY SUNSHINE WILL BREAK THROUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON. WILL THEREFORE TREND CLOSER TO THE WARMER MET GUIDANCE NUMBERS...WITH HIGHS MAINLY IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 60S. AS HIGH MOVES INTO THE AREA AND SKIES CLEAR OUT COMPLETELY...CHILLY TEMPS CAN BE EXPECTED EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...WITH READINGS DIPPING INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 40S. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY AFTER A QUIET DAY ON THURSDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLIDE EAST OF THE REGION AND LOW-LEVEL WAA WILL COMMENCE THURSDAY NIGHT. PIECE OF UPPER ENERGY IS EXPECTED TO EJECT NORTHEASTWARD OUT OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AT THAT TIME...RESULTING IN SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS ACROSS THE PLAINS. MODELS HAVE BEEN QUITE CONSISTENT WITH THIS FEATURE...TRACKING IT INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. WITH STRONG THERMAL AND MOISTURE ADVECTION DEVELOPING THURSDAY NIGHT...HAVE ADDED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE NW CWA. MAIN EMPHASIS FOR CONVECTION WILL BE FOCUSED FURTHER NORTHWEST ACROSS IOWA/WISCONSIN...HOWEVER A FEW SHOWERS/STORMS COULD DEVELOP AS FAR SOUTH AS THE PEORIA AND BLOOMINGTON AREAS AS WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA. FRONT WILL LIFT TO THE NORTH ON FRIDAY...RESULTING IN A PARTLY SUNNY AND VERY WARM DAY WITH HIGHS WELL INTO THE 80S. COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH SYSTEM WILL REMAIN WELL TO THE W/NW THROUGH THE DAY...BUT WILL BEGIN TO APPROACH THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY BY AFTERNOON. HAVE THEREFORE CONTINUED THE 30 POPS ACROSS THAT AREA. MAIN RAIN CHANCES WILL ARRIVE FRIDAY NIGHT AS FRONT PUSHES INTO THE AREA. WILL CARRY 40 TO 50 POPS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ZONES...WITH 30S ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-70. FRONT WILL DROP INTO THE OHIO VALLEY ON SATURDAY...ENDING THE RAIN CHANCES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH DURING THE DAY. AFTER THAT...WARM AND DRY WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED. BARNES && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1133 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>048-053-281100- CASS-CHAMPAIGN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-PEORIA-PIATT-SCHUYLER-STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION- WOODFORD- 1133 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A ROUND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. ILZ049>052-054>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-281100- CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR- EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SCOTT- SHELBY- 1133 AM CDT TUE MAY 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A ROUND OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. MILLER
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A landspout tornado briefly touched down in a field. No damage was reported.
Heavy rains caused many roads to flood to the south and east of Olney.
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, May 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: 104964, 107022.