A nearly stationary frontal boundary extending from Missouri northeastward through central Illinois served as the focusing mechanism for thunderstorm development during the early morning of March 8th, 2009. Most of the storms impacted areas along and north of a Rushville to Minonk line, with damaging wind gusts and large hail reported in a few locations.
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 nearly stationary frontal boundary extending from Missouri northeastward through central Illinois served as the focusing mechanism for thunderstorm development during the early morning of March 8th, 2009. Most of the storms impacted areas along and north of a Rushville to Minonk line, with damaging wind gusts and large hail reported in a few locations.
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 Mar 8, 1:46 AM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 146 AM CST SUN MAR 8 2009 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 145 AM CST SUN MAR 8 2009 FRONTAL BOUNDARY MEANDERING ACROSS THE AREA AGAIN OVERNIGHT...WITH 1 AM POSITION ROUGHLY ALONG I-72. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE CWA...AND CONTINUE TO STREAM NORTHEAST OVER THE SAME AREAS OUT OF NORTHERN MISSOURI. 88D RADAR WIND PROFILE FROM LINCOLN AND ST LOUIS SHOWING 40-55 KNOT LOW LEVEL JET INCREASING SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY. MAIN SURFACE LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOUNDARY WAS ANALYZED IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS. PASSAGE OF STORM SYSTEM TODAY...WITH ASSOCIATED SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN THREATS...IS THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR TODAYS FORECAST. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT ALSO A CONCERN. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... MUCH OF THE MORNING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE ELEVATED AND NORTH OF THE FRONT...WHICH WILL LIFT NORTH AGAIN THIS MORNING. MODELS DIFFERING IN THE SPEED OF THIS LOW PASSAGE -- RANGING FROM A LOCATION NEAR MACOMB TO JUST EAST OF LASALLE AT 18Z -- WITH THE GFS BEING THE FASTER OF THE MODELS. WENT WITH A BLEND OF THE NAM AND THE GFS WITH THE SPEED...RESULTING IN THE TRAILING COLD FRONT ENTERING THE WESTERN CWA AROUND MIDDAY AND BEING OUT OF THE STATE BY AROUND 5 PM. WHILE SOME OF THE EARLY MORNING STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...A SHORT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IS EXPECTED LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AS WELL...DESPITE CAPES BEING ONLY ABOUT 500 J/KG. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THE STORMS DURING THIS PERIOD. MUCH OF THE CWA FROM I-55 EASTWARD WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR LONG ENOUGH TO GET TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID TO UPPER 60S BEFORE THE FRONT ARRIVES...ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING LOWER 60S ALREADY EXIST SOUTH OF A TAYLORVILLE TO PARIS LINE. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE EXPECTED TO DRIFT EAST ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY OVERNIGHT...BEFORE PRECIPITATION BEGINS TO SURGE NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE AREA ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. THINK THE GFS IS BRINGING IN THE RAIN TOO FAST AND AM SIDING TOWARD THE NAM DURING THIS TIME...KEEPING MONDAY FORECAST DRY AND SPREADING THE RAIN IN DURING THE EVENING. GFS ALSO SEEMS TO BE SUFFERING FROM SOME CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK AND AM ONLY GOING WITH ABOUT HALF OF ITS RAIN TOTALS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING. LOW PRESSURE EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHEAST OUT OF KANSAS ON TUESDAY. ALL MODELS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT WITH TRACK OF LOW REACHING WESTERN WISCONSIN BY TUESDAY EVENING...WITH THE NAM JUST A BIT SLOWER WITH THE ATTENDANT COLD FRONT SWINGING THROUGH THE CWA. WITH NEARLY ALL OF THE CWA SPENDING SIGNIFICANT TIME IN THE WARM SECTOR...SIDED MORE WITH THE WARMER MOS GUIDANCE IN MOST AREAS. AS THE LOW MOVES NORTHEAST INTO CANADA...IT IS EXPECTED TO SIGNIFICANTLY STRENGTHEN...RESULTING IN RATHER BREEZY CONDITIONS CONTINUING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... NO CHANGES MADE TO LATTER PART OF FORECAST. MAIN STORM TRACKS EXPECTED TO BE ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER AS WELL AS THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES...WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN BETWEEN. TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL DURING THIS TIME. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1134 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 NO REAL SIGNIFICANT CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST OTHER THAN WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE WARM FRONT...WHICH WAS LOCATED FROM JUST SOUTH OF SPI TO CMI. AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES TWDS IL LATE TNT...THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY EDGE NWD WITH AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE FRONT EXPERIENCING MORE FREQUENT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH MVFR/IFR CIGS AND VSBYS. SOUTH OF THE FRONT...CONFIDENCE IS NOT THAT GREAT WITH RESPECT TO THE CIGS AND VSBYS BUT FROM THE PAST FEW HOURS IT APPEARS THE LOWER CIGS WL SHIFT NORTH WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. SFC WNDS WL VEER INTO THE SOUTH BY MRNG ACRS ALL TAF SITES AS THE BNDRY LIFTS NORTH. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACRS THE AREA LATE TMRW MRNG INTO THE AFTN HOURS WITH SCATTERED TSRA DEVELOPING ALONG IT. COVERAGE IS STILL A QUESTION MARK AS CLOUD COVER WL LIMIT INSTABILITY...BUT SHOULD SEE SOME SCATTERED ACTIVITY ALONG THE FAST MOVING FRONT. THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A WIND SHIFT INTO THE WEST FOR THE AFTN HOURS. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY IN THE WARM SECTOR TOMORROW MRNG AND JUST AS GUSTY IN THE AFTN WITH MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGESTING GUSTS ARND 35 KTS. MAY SEE SOME WRAP ARND MOISTURE IN THE WAKE OF THE STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TOMORROW AFTN ACRS THE NORTH...BUT FOR NOW WL JUST BRING IN A SCATTERED WORDING ACRS THE NRN TAF SITES. SMITH && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR ILZ027>031-036>038. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 ILZ027>031-036>038-081200- FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MCLEAN-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY... A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY WITH A POTENTIAL OF 1.5 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN EXPECTED. THE RAIN FALLING ON PARTIALLY FROZEN GROUND WILL PRODUCE EXCESSIVE RUNOFF AND FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF HAIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY...AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES IN THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE TONIGHT. ILZ042-048-051-081200- LOGAN-MENARD-SANGAMON- 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF HAIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL ON SUNDAY...MAINLY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY...AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES IN THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE TONIGHT. ILZ043>046-052-053-081200- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-MACON-PIATT-VERMILION- 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF HAIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL ON SUNDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY...AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES IN THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE TONIGHT. ILZ054>057-061-062-066-067-071>073-081200- CLAY-COLES-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE- MOULTRIE-RICHLAND-SHELBY- 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA LATE TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF HAIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ON SUNDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY...AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES IN THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT. ILZ040-041-047-049-050-081200- CASS-MASON-MORGAN-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF HAIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE ILLINOIS RIVER AT BEARDSTOWN AND HAVANA WILL REMAIN ABOVE FLOOD STAGE INTO NEXT WEEK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL ON SUNDAY...MAINLY DURING THE MORNING. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY...AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES IN THE AREA. FOR INTERESTS ALONG THE ILLINOIS RIVER...THE RIVER IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AROUND HAVANA AND POINTS DOWNSTREAM FOR THE NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVERNIGHT. ILZ063-068-081200- CLARK-CRAWFORD- 328 PM CST SAT MAR 7 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY SUNDAY. IN ADDITION...SOME THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF HAIL SFTER 3 AM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ON SUNDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY...AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM ARRIVES IN THE AREA. THE WABASH RIVER FROM TERRE HAUTE THROUGH HUTSONVILLE IS EXPECTED TO GO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE TONIGHT. BARKER
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:51 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several power poles were blown just south of Galesburg along Illinois Route 41.
Power lines were blown down in Cuba.
The roof of the American Red Cross building sustained major wind damage. In addition, numerous trees were blown down across the city of Canton.
Fencing was blown down at the Casey's on Plank Road.
Several houses in Metamora experienced shingle and trim damage.
Power lines were blown down south of the intersection of routes 116 and 117 near Benson.
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, March 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: 161100, 157442, 157474, 157441, 157444, 157446, 157443.