Scattered thunderstorms that moved into parts of central Illinois late in the evening of May 12th created numerous cloud to ground lightning strikes. One lightning strike sparked a house fire in southern Woodford County.
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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.
Scattered thunderstorms that moved into parts of central Illinois late in the evening of May 12th created numerous cloud to ground lightning strikes. One lightning strike sparked a house fire in southern Woodford 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 May 12, 7:37 PM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 837 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 825 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 LATEST SURFACE MAP INDICATING WARM FRONT STILL WELL SOUTHWEST OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS EVENING. 00Z ILX SOUNDING STILL INDICATING A LOT OF DRY AIR TO OVERCOME IN THE LOW AND MID LEVELS. RUC FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING SOME MOISTENING OCCURRING AT THE MID LEVELS BTWN 04Z-06Z ACRS THE WEST WITH A GRDL EWD SHIFT OVERNIGHT. INITIAL SHORTWAVE WHICH PRODUCED THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS NOW ENTERING OUR FAR WESTERN AREAS...WL CONTINUE TO SHIFT OFF TO OUR EAST LATE TNT. HOWEVER...LOW LEVEL JET OF 40-50 KTS FORECAST TO TRANSPORT COPIOUS AMTS OF LOW AND MID LEVEL MOISTURE NEWD INTO OUR AREA LATE TNT WITH AN EXPECTED INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. MODELS INDICATING MOST UNSTABLE CAPES OF 500-1000 J/KG ACRS NRN MO INTO CNTRL IOWA BY 06Z WITH STORMS FIRING ON THE NOSE OF THIS ELEVATED INSTABILITY AND TRACKING EAST AND NORTHEAST INTO OUR AREA LATE TNT. SOME OF THE STORMS WL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL ALONG WITH SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY LATE TNT AS THE WARM FRONT APPROACHES OUR AREA FROM THE SOUTH. CURRENT FORECAST HAS THIS HANDLED WELL... SO OTHER THAN SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HOURLY TEMPERATURE AND WIND GRIDS...NO EVENING UPDATE WILL BE NEEDED. SMITH && .AVIATION... ISSUED 615 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 TIMING OF CONVECTION INTO THE TAF SITES ALONG WITH AFFECT ON CIGS LATER TNT...AND WHETHER CIGS WL LIFT LATE TMRW MRNG OR EARLY AFTN AHEAD OF STRONG COLD FRONT EXPCTD INTO THE AREA TMRW EVENING ARE THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS THIS PERIOD. BAND OF SHOWERS AND TSRA OVR SRN IA AND NRN MO CONTINUES TO TRACK EWD EARLY THIS EVENING AND BASED ON THE CURRENT MOVEMENT... SHOULD BE AFFECTING AT LEAST OUR WRN TAF SITES AFTR DARK. AS LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES LATER TNT...EXPECT AREAL COVERAGE TO INCREASE AS WELL WHICH MAY BRING CIGS DOWN...AT LEAST TEMPORARILY...TO MVFR CONDITIONS AFTR 05Z. AS WARM FRONT GRDLY LIFTS NWD TWDS CNTRL IL LATE TNT INTO WED MRNG...EXPCT AT LEAST SOME MVFR AND LOCAL IFR CIGS AS MOISTURE ADVECTS NWD INTO OUR AREA OVERNIGHT. WARM FRONT SHOULD LIFT NORTH OF THE FCST AREA BY LATER TMRW MRNG TAKING MOST OF THE CONVECTION WITH IT. WE WL PROBABLY SEE A BREAK IN THE RAIN AS THE FRONT SHIFTS TO OUR NORTH WED AFTN BUT THE REAL CHALLENGE WL BE IF CIGS WL LIFT AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. RIGHT NOW WL PLAY IT THAT WAY FROM WEST TO EAST TMRW AFTN AND NOT TRY TO PIN DOWN OUR NEXT CHANCE FOR STORMS...PSBLY SEVERE...WITH THE COLD FRONT AFTR 22Z. 00Z ILX SOUNDING SUGGESTING WINDS JUST OFF THE DECK WERE FROM THE SSE AT 30KTS AND WITH THE GUSTS STILL OCCURRING AND THE EXPCTD CONVECTION IN LATER THIS EVENING...HAVE OPTED TO LEAVE OUT LLWS ACRS THE TAF SITES FOR NOW. SMITH && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 250 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 A PLEASANT SPRING DAY CONTINUES TO UNFOLD ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS AS BROAD HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES SLOWLY DRIFTS AWAY FROM THE REGION. FORECAST ATTENTION TURNS UPSTREAM TO A COMPLEX DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE/FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES AND PLAINS STATES. THIS APPROACHING SYSTEM WILL SPREAD PERIODS OF SHOWERS/STORMS INTO THE FORECAST AREA AS EARLY AS TONIGHT...CONTINUING THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY. THE THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE SEVERE...ESPECIALLY LATER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. NOT SURPRISINGLY...THE IMPACTS OF THIS SYSTEM ARE THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. 12Z MODELS IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE APPROACHING SYSTEM. NONE OF THE MODELS WILL LIKELY HAVE A EXACT DEPICTION OF THE MESOSCALE NATURE OF THE APPROACHING SYSTEM...SO HAVE GENERALLY GONE WITH A BLEND. BEYOND THIS FIRST SYSTEM...ANOTHER SYSTEM IS PROGGED INTO THE REGION LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. HAVE FAVORED THE FASTER/LESS AMPLIFIED SOLUTION OF GFS/ECMWF WITH THIS SYSTEM AT THIS TIME. SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY... TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...A COUPLE FAVORED PERIODS FOR CONVECTIONS ARE ANTICIPATED WITH THE PLAINS SYSTEM AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. THE FIRST PERIOD IS OVERNIGHT/EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AS AN MCS TRACKS ACROSS THE REGION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PASSAGE OF A WARM FRONTAL FEATURE. THE SECOND PERIOD IS LATER WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/WEDNESDAY EVENING AS THE MAIN SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND THE TRAILING COLD FRONT SWINGS THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED ALONG/AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THE CONVECTION THAT WILL EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO OUR MCS TONIGHT IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING ALONG THE NEBRASKA/IOWA AND KANSAS/MISSOURI BORDERS. THIS CONVECTION IS OCCURRING ON THE NOSE OF STRONG DEEP LAYER WINDS AND ASSOCIATED RICH MOISTURE INFLOW. ADDITIONAL FORCING IS BEING PROVIDED BY A SHORT WAVE ROUNDING THE BASE OF A DIGGING UPPER LEVEL TROF. THIS FORCING/MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO TRANSLATE EAST TOWARD/INTO THE FORECAST AREA WITH TIME WITH AN ATTENDANT MCS. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THE MCS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AND MAYBE SOME HAIL...BUT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. EXPECT A BREAK IN THE WEATHER LATER WEDNESDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON AS THE MCS DEPARTS AND THE COLD FRONT STILL LIES WELL TO THE WEST. THERE IS STILL SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW MUCH DESTABILIZATION WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE WAKE OF THE MCS DUE TO LINGERING CONVECTIVE DEBRIS. HOWEVER...STRONG LOW LEVEL WAA SHOULD MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE DEBRIS TO SOME DEGREE. WHILE LAPSE RATES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE ESPECIALLY STEEP...THE RICH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD STILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE CAPE VALUES ON THE ORDER OF 1500-2000 J/KG AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THIS INSTABILITY... ALONG WITH PRETTY IMPRESSIVE DEEP LAYER SHEAR/LOW LEVEL HELICITY...SHOULD PRODUCE SEVERE STORMS. DISCRETE STORMS ARE LIKELY AT THE ONSET...BUT THEY SHOULD EVOLVE INTO A SQUALL LINE WITH TIME. THURSDAY...A BRIEF QUIET WEATHER PERIOD IS EXPECTED AS THE COLD FRONT SETTLES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY AND STALLS OUT. IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED AT THE SURFACE WITH NEUTRAL FLOW ALOFT. THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...A SHORT WAVE WILL RACE ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER OF STATES DURING THE PERIOD. THE STALLED FRONT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WILL LIFT BACK NORTH INTO THE REGION AS A WARM FRONT IN RESPONSE TO THIS WAVE...ALONG WITH A RENEWED SHOWER/STORM RISK. LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...MODELS/ENSEMBLES IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT WITH THE PRIMARY WEATHER EVENT EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION DURING THE LONG TERM. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY...WITH AN ASSOCIATED RISK OF SHOWERS/STORMS. THE MODELS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THIS TIMING FOR A FEW RUNS NOW AND HAVE TRENDED POPS JUST SHY OF LIKELY WITH FROPA. IF CURRENT TIMING HOLDS...EXPECT BULK OF THE PRECIPITATION TO BE SOUTH/EAST OF THE REGION BY SATURDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...HAVE MAINTAINED SLIGHT CHANCE/CHANCE POPS SATURDAY NIGHT IN CASE FRONT SLOWS A BIT AND FOR COLLABORATIVE PURPOSES. ONCE THE FRONT CLEARS THE REGION...COOLER AIR WILL SETTLE IN ACROSS THE REGION AS CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN AND UPPER TROFFING DEVELOPS ACROSS EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. MODEL/ENSEMBLE SPREAD INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK...SO HOW LONG THE COOL/QUIET WEATHER LASTS IS UNCERTAIN. SEVERAL MODEL SOLUTIONS SUGGEST ANOTHER FRONT WILL SINK TOWARD AT LEAST THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY NEXT TUESDAY. HAVE ADDED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS/STORMS IN THE NORTH FOR THIS POSSIBILITY...BUT WILL WAIT FOR GREATER AGREEMENT/CONTINUITY UNTIL GOING WITH HIGHER POPS. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 346 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>053-131100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK- TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 346 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING WARM FRONT LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING QUARTER-SIZED HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...AGGRAVATING ONGOING FLOODING ISSUES IN THE AREA. THE ILLINOIS RIVER WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. A SLOW FALL IS EXPECTED THIS WEEK...WITH HENRY DROPPING BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT ACROSS THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...THEN WILL SPREAD EASTWARD TO THE I-55 CORRIDOR BY EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING. ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE TO SUPPORT ROTATING UPDRAFTS WITH THE STORMS...ENHANCING THE THREAT FOR LARGE HAIL IN EXCESS OF QUARTER-SIZED...WINDS GREATER THAN 60 MPH...AND A FEW TORNADOES. THE STORMS WILL PUSH INTO EAST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INTO THE REGION FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...PRIMARILY FROM 9 PM TO 3 AM. ILZ044>046-054>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-131100- CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR- EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MOULTRIE-PIATT-RICHLAND-SHELBY- VERMILION- 346 PM CDT TUE MAY 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING WARM FRONT LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME...HOWEVER SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH INTO EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS WEDNESDAY EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. LARGE HAIL IN EXCESS OF QUARTER-SIZED AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE STORMS WILL PUSH INTO INDIANA BY AROUND MIDNIGHT. ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INTO THE REGION FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. BARNES
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:31 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a tree near a house in Kappa, setting the power lines and part of the house on fire. The kitchen, a staircase and the room above the kitchen were damaged. A man, who was asleep when the fire started, escaped unharmed.
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, May 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: 171363.