As low pressure exited the area, strong westerly winds swept across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of February 11th. Wind gusts as high as 50 to 60 mph were reported, resulting in minor damage.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
As low pressure exited the area, strong westerly winds swept across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of February 11th. Wind gusts as high as 50 to 60 mph were reported, resulting in minor 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 Feb 11, 11:44 AM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1144 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1041 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS LOW PRESSURE NORTHEAST OF SAINT LOUIS...WITH WARM FRONT STRETCHING E/NE JUST EAST OF THE I-55 CORRIDOR. MUCH OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS IS CURRENTLY IN A TEMPORARY PRECIP LULL...AS THE MAIN BAND OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS HAS SHIFTED INTO THE WABASH RIVER VALLEY. MEANWHILE...LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO ROTATE E/NE ACROSS MISSOURI IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MAIN UPPER LOW. HAVE UPDATED THE GRIDS TO DOWNPLAY THUNDER CHANCES ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE KILX CWA...WITH ONLY ISOLATED THUNDER MENTION. FURTHER EAST AND SOUTH...COULD STILL SEE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS UNTIL THE COLD FRONT FINALLY SWINGS EAST OF THE REGION BY MID-AFTERNOON. MAIN STORY LATER TODAY WILL BE THE WINDS...AS WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH DEVELOP ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DEPARTING LOW. MAY SEE GUSTS AS HIGH AS 45 MPH AT TIMES FROM LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1144 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO EXTEND ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS...WITH KDEC AND KCMI IN THE WARM SECTOR AND THE REMAINING TERMINALS ON THE COLD SIDE OF THE STORM SYSTEM. BOTTOM LINE HAS MEANT LOWEST CEILINGS OF UNDER 1000FT ACROSS THE WESTERN TAF SITES AND HIGHER CEILINGS OF BETWEEN 3500 AND 5000FT IN THE WARM AIRMASS AT BOTH KDEC AND KCMI. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE LOW PRESSURE TRACKS INTO NORTHERN INDIANA AND THE COLDER AIRMASS AND CORRESPONDING LOWER CEILINGS ARE PULLED FURTHER EAST THIS AFTERNOON AFTER 21Z. AN AREA OF RAIN CURRENTLY ACROSS MISSOURI WILL LIFT INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS AS WELL...WITH RAIN EXPECTED AT ALL TERMINALS. WILL INCLUDE VCTS AT KSPI...KDEC...AND KCMI...AS CONVECTION DEVELOPING ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THE LOW TRACK SKIRTS BY JUST TO THE S/SE OVER THE NEXT 2 TO 3 HOURS. WINDS ARE CURRENTLY FROM THE NORTH ALONG AND WEST OF I-55 AND FROM THE SOUTH EAST OF I-55. WINDS WILL SWITCH TO NW AND INCREASE MARKEDLY AFTER 20Z...WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 30 TO 35KT AT TIMES. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE LATER THIS EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES FURTHER AWAY. SKIES WILL ALSO BEGIN TO CLEAR FROM WEST TO EAST...WITH 12Z NAM-WRF RH PROFILES SUGGESTING ALL TAF SITES CLEARED OUT BY 09Z. BARNES && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 308 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 RAPIDLY DEVELOPING SFC LOW PUSHING PLENTY OF WARM MOIST AIR AND PRECIP INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS MORNING. MAIN UPPER LOW STILL WELL BACK TO THE SW ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...SWIRLING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SMALL SECONDARY LOW DEVELOPING IN SERN MO WITH H5 PROFILERS SHOWING A DIRECTIONAL DIVERGENCE AT THAT LEVEL AS WELL ENHANCING THE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN SERN MO. FIRST ISSUE FOR THE FORECAST IS THE GENESIS OF THE CURRENT STORM TRACKING THROUGH CENTRAL ILLINOIS TODAY AND THE WIND AND FLOODING ASSOCIATED...AS WELL AS AN ENHANCED THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER...ESPECIALLY EAST OF OF INTERSTATE 55. THE NEXT ISSUE WILL BE THE QUICK MOVING WAVE PUSHING THROUGH THE FA ON FRI NIGHT...PROGGED TO BRING ACCUMULATING SNOW...ESP ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 74. MODEL PERFORMANCE CONTINUES TO HAVE CONSISTENCY ISSUES AND TONIGHTS PICK HAS ORBITED BACK TO A GFS/ECMWF BLEND... WITH THE NAM A BIT ON THE OUTSIDE AGGRESSIVELY AND TOO FAR TO THE NORTH. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT... MANY ISSUES FOR TODAYS FORECAST...ALL WRAPPED UP WITH WIND AND WATER. A LOT OF PRECIP TO FALL OVER THE FORECAST AREA...AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM AS CENTRAL ILLINOIS COMPLETELY IN A WARM SECTOR THIS MORNING. SFC LOW TRACKING NEWD WILL KEEP THE FA IN SAID WARM SECTOR WITH PLENTY OF STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW KEEPING THE MOISTURE IN PLACE. ONLY BREAK FROM THAT MIGHT COME IF ENOUGH CONVECTION RACES OUT AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM TO CUT OFF THE INCREASE IN TEMP AND MOISTURE... BUT WILL NOT BE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE RAIN FROM ENDING ALTOGETHER AS THE LIFT INCREASES BASED ON THE RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AS THE UPPER TROF BECOMES MORE NEGATIVELY TILTED. PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASING QUICKLY ENOUGH THAT THE MORNING WINDS WILL EDGE INTO ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR MUCH OF THE FA... OUT OF THE SOUTH EAST OF INTERSTATE 55...AND NORTH AND NORTHWESTERLY ALONG AND WEST OF I55...BECOMING MORE WESTERLY ACROSS THE FA AS THE LOW PULLS THROUGH AND OUT TO THE NE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. MOST RAPID DEEPENING LIKELY AFTER 18Z AS THE WIND FIELD BECOMES ITS STRONGEST AND MOST UNIFORM. AT THIS POINT...THERE IS AN ADDED THREAT AS THE COLD FRONT TRAILING THE SYSTEM PUSHES THROUGH THE FA. WHEREAS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WINDS ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO PUSH CONDITIONS INTO ADVISORY CRITERIA...ANY ADDED TURBULENCE FROM THE FRONT AND/OR CONVECTION OF ANY SORT WILL BE ENOUGH TO TRANSFER SOME 50-55KT WINDS DOWN FROM JUST OFF THE SFC AT 2 TO 3 KFT. WILL NOT TAKE MUCH OF A RAIN OR THUNDERSTORM TO PUSH SEVERE CRITERIA THROUGH THE FA ON A LARGE SCALE. TRAVELING IN ANY KIND OF HIGH PROFILE VEHICLE SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED THIS AFTERNOON ON NORTH/SOUTH OR NORTHEAST/SOUTHWEST ORIENTED ROADS LIKE I-55. SOME CONCERN SHOULD BE EXPRESSED FOR SOME FLURRY ACTIVITY LATE IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW THIS AFTERNOON. BUT THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SHOULD BE MOVING SO RAPIDLY THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE MORE THAN A DUSTING. FORECAST MODELS ARE ALSO KEEPING RELATIVELY WARM WITH THIS SPRING LIKE SYSTEM...AND CHANCES FOR THE SNOW HAVE BEEN DROPPING WITH THE TREND OF THE MODELS. HAVE KEPT MENTION OUT OF THE FORECAST AT THIS POINT AS IT WILL BE BRIEF AND MORE LIKELY TO BE HANDLED BY SHORT TERM FORECASTS/NOWS. WINDS WILL KEEP UP QUITE A BIT LONGER THAN THE RAIN...WELL INTO THE EVENING IN THE EAST...FINALLY DYING DOWN BETWEEN 03 AND 06Z. OVERNIGHT SHOULD BE DRY AND A BIT BREEZY...BUT BELOW ANY KIND OF CRITERIA. LONG TERM...TOMORROW THROUGH SUNDAY... MUCH QUIETER IN THE MED/LONG RANGE UNTIL LATE FRIDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER WAVE PUSHES OUT OF THE WSW. TIMING ISSUES LIKELY FOR THIS SYSTEM AS IT IS MOVING ALONG A QUASI ZONAL FLOW IN A PATTERN SHIFT FOR THE MODELS. BUT AT THIS POINT...PLENTY OF MOISTURE IN COMBINATION WITH A RATHER COLD AIRMASS IS RESULTING IN SOME DECENT SNOW POSSIBILITIES FOR ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 74...AND HPC IS PUTTING 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT WILL RESTATE...ITS A FAST SYSTEM IN A PATTERN SHIFT AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THAT FORECAST ARE VERY MUCH LIKELY. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR ILZ027>031-036>038- 040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR ILZ029>031-036>038- 040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1153 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 ILZ038-042>046-051>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-121200- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT- DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-LOGAN-MACON-MCLEAN- MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SHELBY-VERMILION- 1153 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF UP TO 1 INCH EXPECTED. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND EAST OF I-55...HOWEVER SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS...AS WELL AS OTHER FLOOD PRONE AREAS. AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH. THIS WILL POSE A DANGER TO HIGH-PROFILE VEHICLES ON NORTH SOUTH ROADS. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ029>031-036-037-040-041-047>050-121200- CASS-FULTON-MARSHALL-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 1153 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF UP TO 1 INCH EXPECTED. THIS RAIN WILL CAUSE RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS...AS WELL AS OTHER FLOOD PRONE AREAS. AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO AROUND 45 MPH. THIS WILL POSE A DANGER TO HIGH-PROFILE VEHICLES ON NORTH SOUTH ROADS. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ027-028-121200- KNOX-STARK- 1153 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF UP TO 1 INCH EXPECTED. THIS RAIN WILL CAUSE RISES ON AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS...AS WELL AS OTHER FLOOD PRONE AREAS. AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO NORTHERN INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON...WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO AROUND 40 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. BARNES
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1104 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0710 AM HEAVY RAIN SHUMWAY 39.18N 88.65W
02/11/2009 M4.00 INCH EFFINGHAM IL MESONET
SPOTTER REPORT OF 4 INCHES OF RAIN. THE LITTLE WABASH
RIVER HAS FLOODED ROUTE 33.
&&
GOETSCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
110 PM CST WED FEB 11 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM FLOOD MATTOON 39.48N 88.37W
02/11/2009 COLES IL EMERGENCY MNGR
STREET FLOODING IN MATTOON. SOUTH 9TH ST. AND 33RD ST.
SEVERAL SMALL CREEKS OUT OF BANKS AND SOME FLOODING OVER
ROADS.
1200 PM FLOOD MARTINSVILLE 39.34N 87.88W
02/11/2009 CLARK IL EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORTS OF FLOODED ROADS IN MARTINSVILLE AND MARSHALL.
1200 PM FLOOD FLORA 38.67N 88.48W
02/11/2009 CLAY IL EMERGENCY MNGR
CITY FLOODING IN FLORA AND LOUISVILLE. SOME COUNTY ROADS
BLOCKED BY HIGH WATER.
1200 PM FLOOD ARCOLA 39.68N 88.30W
02/11/2009 DOUGLAS IL EMERGENCY MNGR
ISOLATED FLOODING. COUNTY ROAD 1150 EAST JUST SOUTH OF
ROUTE 133 NEAR ARCOLA HAS WATER COVERING ROADWAY.
1200 PM FLOOD EFFINGHAM 39.12N 88.55W
02/11/2009 EFFINGHAM IL EMERGENCY MNGR
3-4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE COUNTY. LOW
LYING ROADS COVERED WITH WATER.
1200 PM FLOOD NEWTON 38.99N 88.16W
02/11/2009 JASPER IL EMERGENCY MNGR
APPLESHED ROAD NW OF NEWTON BLOCKED BY HIGH WATER.
CULVERT WASHED OUT. IN WHEELER, TWO FAMILIES WERE
EVACUATED DUE TO HIGH WATER.
1200 PM FLOOD LAWRENCEVILLE 38.73N 87.69W
02/11/2009 LAWRENCE IL EMERGENCY MNGR
SOME ROADS HAVE HIGH WATER, BUT NOT BLOCKED YET.
1200 PM HEAVY RAIN CHRISMAN 39.80N 87.67W
02/11/2009 E2.20 INCH EDGAR IL EMERGENCY MNGR
MEASURED 2.20 INCHES OF RAINFALL HAS FALLEN BETWEEN
CHRISMAN AND PARIS.
1230 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 S CHESTNUT 40.04N 89.20W
02/11/2009 M0.77 INCH LOGAN IL MESONET
SWOP.
1239 PM HEAVY RAIN MATTOON 39.48N 88.37W
02/11/2009 M2.21 INCH COLES IL MESONET
STORM TOTAL OF 2.21 INCHES. SWOP.
&&
ABECKERThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds blew a road construction sign onto a vehicle in Springfield.
High winds knocked a light pole onto a vehicle at Main and Bowman Streets in Danville.
High winds knocked a tree down onto IL Route 1, approximately one mile south of Georgetown. The downed tree then resulted in a vehicle accident.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2009
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: 153127, 153126, 153125.