A strong cold front triggered a line of severe thunderstorms across Iowa during the afternoon of June 23rd. The storms pushed eastward into Illinois by late afternoon and evening, producing widespread wind damage and torrential rainfall.
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 strong cold front triggered a line of severe thunderstorms across Iowa during the afternoon of June 23rd. The storms pushed eastward into Illinois by late afternoon and evening, producing widespread wind damage and torrential rainfall. The storms weakened as they gradually shifted into east-central Illinois during the early morning of June 24th.
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 23, 1:35 PM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 235 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 235 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... SYNOPTIC COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL IA MOVING EASTWARD... HOWEVER THE MAIN BOUNDARY FOR CONVECTIVE INITIATION FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS IS AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT HAS IS STILL MOVING SOUTHWARD OVER EASTERN ILLINOIS...BUT HAS STALLED FURTHER WEST. THUNDERSTORM INITIATION APPEARS IMMINENT ALONG THE BOUNDARY THAT EXTENDS FROM NEAR BURLINGTON TO CHAMPAIGN. SUPERCELLS WILL BE THE INITIAL STORM MODE WITH ATTENDANT TORNADO THREAT ALONG AND NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY. AFTER THAT...STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONGEAL INTO A FORWARD PROPAGATING MCS WITH WINDS BECOMING THE PRIMARY THREAT. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 2 INCHES AND STORM MOTIONS PARALLEL TO THE BOUNDARY ALSO SUGGEST A SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT OVER AREAS WHERE THE SOIL IS SATURATED. HAVE THEREFORE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL BUT THE SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE OUT OF THE AREA BY 06Z. AN UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND DRIVE THE IOWA COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA LATER TONIGHT...WITH A LESS HUMID AIRMASS TAKING OVER FOR THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR MENTIONABLE PRECIPITATION APPEARS TO BE JUST BEYOND THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN CONUS WESTERLIES AND BE LOCATED OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY SUNDAY. THIS FEATURE WILL DRIVE A COLD FRONT SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE MIDWEST...WITH SUFFICIENT MOISTURE RETURN AHEAD OF THE FRONT TO WARRANT AT LEAST CHANCE POPS FOR ITS PASSAGE. BEST ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR CONVECTION LOOKS TO BE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE PREVIOUS FORECAST...SO SEE NO REASON TO ALTER AT THIS TIME. TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL STILL BAKE IN THE LOW TO MID 90S. THE UPPER TROUGH IS FORECAST TO AMPLIFY AS IT MOVES INTO THE NORTHEASTERN STATES...WHICH WILL IN TURN PUSH AN UPPER RIDGE NORTHWARD THROUGH THE EASTERN ROCKIES AND WESTERN PLAINS. THE EASTERN TROUGH ALIGNMENT SUGGESTS THAT THE MONDAY FRONT SHOULD GET A GOOD SHOVE TO THE SOUTH/EAST...THUS BRINGING A DRIER/COOLER AIRMASS INTO THE MIDWEST. THUS WILL KEEP MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY DRY AT THIS TIME WITH SOMEWHAT COOLER TEMPERATURES. 04 && .AVIATION... ISSUED 118 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 SAME WEATHER PATTERN WITH SIMILAR TAFS...MORE OR LESS IN THE SHORT TERM. BOTTOM LINE IS...VFR WITH CONTINUED THREATS OF TSRA THROUGH THIS EVENING. MURKY FORECAST AT BEST. SOME CLEARING EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON BEHIND THESE ROUNDS OF TSRA...MUCH LATER AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. LOCATIONS IMPACTED MAY BE SKETCHY AS TO HOW FAR SOUTH THE MAIN CONVECTION WILL GET WORKED UP. VCTS FOR EVERYONE UNTIL STORMS DEVELOP. WINDS ALSO A BIT PROBLEMATIC AS MANY MANY SFC BOUNDARIES ABOUND...LEFTOVER FROM DYING STORMS TO THE NORTH. HJS && && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ036-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 1 AM THURSDAY MORNING FOR ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 310 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 ILZ027>031-037-038-241100- KNOX-MARSHALL-MCLEAN-PEORIA-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 310 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTHEAST TOWARDS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE DURING THE MID AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. IN ADDITION TO THE WIND AND HAIL THREAT...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL ONCE AGAIN ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING. HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 100 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER FROM HENRY THROUGH BEARDSTOWN THROUGH MOST OF THIS WEEK. MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON THE SPOON RIVER AS WELL...FOR A COUPLE MORE DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED FROM MID AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...ROUGHLY FROM 300 PM THROUGH 900 PM THIS EVENING. ILZ036-041>046-241100- CHAMPAIGN-DE WITT-FULTON-LOGAN-MASON-PIATT-VERMILION- 310 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTHEAST TOWARDS CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL...WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE DURING THE MID AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. IN ADDITION TO THE WIND AND HAIL THREAT...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL ONCE AGAIN ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING. HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO BE RANGE FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. FOR INTERESTS ALONG THE SPOON RIVER IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE TIME FRAME ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED WILL BE FROM 300 PM UNTIL 10 PM CDT. ILZ040-047>057-061>063-241100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-COLES-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MACON-MENARD- MORGAN-MOULTRIE-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY- 310 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT THURSDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. A FEW OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS...IN ADDITION TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. MINOR TO MODERATE FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG THE SANGAMON RIVER FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY MORNING WITH ANOTHER THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS LATER SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...ROUGHLY FROM 4 PM UNTIL 11 PM CDT. ILZ066>068-071>073-241100- CLAY-CRAWFORD-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 310 PM CDT WED JUN 23 2010 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON...MORE LIKELY FOR THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. EXTENSIVE FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG THE WABASH RIVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. FLOODING IS ALSO EXPECTED ALONG THE LITTLE WABASH RIVER BY CLAY CITY AND THE EMBARRAS RIVER AT LAWRENCEVILLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY MORNING WITH ANOTHER THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS LATER SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING...ROUGHLY FROM 600 PM UNTIL 200 AM CDT. HJS
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 76 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:33 UTC.
32 thunderstorm wind, 12 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were uprooted and blown down. A barn was damaged.
Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down around Galesburg.
Two 8-inch diameter tree branches were blown down.
Several trees and power lines were blown down. The chimney was blown off the County Sheriff's Office building in Lacon.
Several trees and power lines were blown down in Henry.
Rainfall amounts of 2.00 to 2.50 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across much of Knox County. Numerous roads had several inches of water flowing over them, viaducts were flooded, drainage ditches were overflowing, and fields were inundated with water.
Numerous large tree branches were blown down around Peoria. A firetruck was struck by a falling tree.
Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Cuba.
Power lines were blown down in Fairview.
Rainfall amounts of 1.50 to 2.00 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across much of Marshall County. Numerous roads were impassable, drainage ditches were overflowing, and fields were inundated with water.
Rainfall amounts of 1.50 to 2.00 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across nearly all of Peoria County, including the city of Peoria. Many streets in Peoria were flooded, which caused vehicles to become stranded and forced up manhole coveres. Outside of the city, many rural roads were impassable, as were portions of State Highway 8, 28, 90, 91 and 116.
Numerous power poles were blown down along IL 100 near Bryant.
Debris from yards was blown blocks away.
Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down in St. David.
A 10-inch limb and a baseball diamond fence were blown down.
Tress were snapped off at the base.
Rainfall amounts of 2.00 to 2.50 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across nearly all of Stark County. Numerous roads had several inches of water flowing over them, drainage ditches were overflowing, and fields were inundated with water.
Rainfall amounts around 2.00 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across much of northern Fulton County. Numerous roads had several inches of water flowing over them, viaducts were flooded, drainage ditches were overflowing, and fields were inundated with water. Parts of State Highway 9, 78, 97 and 100 were impassable due to the flooding.
A tree was blown down onto a house on Prince Street in Pekin.
Numerous small tree limbs were blown down.
Power lines were blown down in Havana.
Rainfall amounts of 1.50 to 2.00 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across western and northern Tazewell County. Many streets in Pekin, East Peoria and Morton were flooded, which caused vehicles to become stranded. Outside of the cities, many rural roads were impassable, as were portions of State Highway 9 and 29.
A 6-inch diameter limb was blown down. A 14-inch diameter soft maple with a rotten core was toppled.
Rainfall amounts of 1.50 to 2.00 during the evening fell on saturated ground from previous flooding. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across western and central Woodford County. Many streets in Metamora, Eureka and Roanoke were flooded. Outside of the cities, many rural roads were impassable, as were portions of State Highway 116 and 117.
A tree was blown down onto a car in Oakford.
Several trees were uprooted along a half mile path near Atterberry.
A tree limb was blown down onto a power line on Johnson Street.
A large tree branch was broken off at the National Weather Service office east of Lincoln.
A large wooden swingset was toppled.
A large tree limb was blown down across Scott Street in Mt. Pulaski.
Three trees were blown down along 1400th Street just outside of Middletown.
A window was blown out of a house on Lincoln Trail Road.
A 2 to 3-foot diameter tree fell onto a house north of the courthouse in Petersburg. In addition, numerous small branches were blown down around town.
Several 2 to 3-foot diameter trees were blown down in the Chautauqua Park area north of the Athens Blacktop.
A tree was blown down on Middletown Road between Middletown and Greenview.
A 70-foot tall tree was uprooted.
A barn and machine shed were damaged two miles south of Mount Auburn.
Several trees were uprooted in Blue Mound.
Several trees were uprooted near Lake Paradise.
Rainfall amounts around 2.00 overnight fell on already saturated ground. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across northern Shelby County. Rural roads, especially those in the vicinity of Lake Shelbyville, were impassable.
Rainfall amounts around 2.00 overnight fell on already saturated ground. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across southern Moultrie County. Rural roads, especially those in the vicinity of Lake Shelbyville, were impassable.
Rainfall amounts of 2.00 to 2.50 overnight fell on already saturated ground. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Shelby County. Numerous streets in the city of Mattoon were impassable, as were rural roads mainly south and southeast of the city.
Rainfall amounts of 2.00 to 2.50 overnight fell on already saturated ground. This resulted in widespread flash flooding across nearly all of Cumberland County. Numerous rural roads were impassable, as were portions of State Highway 121 and 130.
Rainfall amounts of 2.00 to 2.50 overnight fell on already saturated ground. This resulted in flash flooding in a small part of southern Clark County. Several rural roads were impassable as a result of the heavy rain and flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, June 2010
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: 244171, 244179, 244228, 244174, 244176, 246615, 244188, 244219, 244225, 246624, 246633, 244185, 244187, 244218, 244222, 244220, 246617, 246636, 244264, 244180, 244182, 246638, 244221, 246641, 244234, 244242, 244229, 244236, 244255, 244259, 244231, 244232, 244237, 244238, 244233, 244235, 244239, 244241, 244274, 246651, and more.