Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, April 19, 2011

Hail ranging in size from half dollars to tennis balls.

Thunderstorm winds blew the roofs off of two sheds just northwest of Nilwood. Much of the debris was scattered north and east of the property. Several pieces of wood from the sheds were sticking out of the mud in a nearby corn field.

The path of this tornado was a very curved one as it initially tornado touched down about 2.5 miles west of Girard, Illinois, on Emerson Airline Road. It caused extensive damage to a couple of houses in this location. It then travelled to the northeast crossing Henry Road, north of the intersection with Emerson Airline Road, and damaging 3 farmsteads. One home was destroyed and another home sustained moderate damage, trapping the residents in the basement until they could be rescued. Also, several barns were destroyed in this area. The tornado began to travel on a more easterly course, damaging or destroying several farmsteads on Neff Road. Numerous outbuildings were destroyed in this area and one house was destroyed. As it approached Pleasant Hill Road approximately 1.2 miles northwest of Girard, it caused major damage to a brick home and destroyed all of the outbuildings. The tornado continued to travel to the east, destroying a farm about a mile north of town on Illinois Route 4. Several cows were killed in this location. Then the tornado began to curve back to the southeast, crossing Prose Road about half a mile south of the intersection with Substation Road. In this location it caused extensive damage to a brick home with most of the exterior walls destroyed but with the interior wall structure intact. This damage was rated EF3. The tornado continued to the southeast. It caused moderate roof damage to a house on Kimes Road near intersection with Adams Road. The tornado then lifted and dissipated on Adams Road after hitting one last farmstead and causing minor damage. Several farms sustained damage along the path of the tornado with many of the houses that were damaged rated EF2 with large portions of the roofs badly damaged. Numerous outbuildings were either destroyed or sustained major damage along this track as well. Also, about 20 power poles were blown down along Illinois Route 4 just north of town. The average path width of the tornado was 150 yards with a maximum width of 200 yards. The highest rating of the damage was EF3 and with peak wind speeds of 150 mph. Two miles west of Girard, two people heading for the basement to seek shelter from the tornado, sustained minor cuts and bruises. Because the path of the tornado was curved the actual total path length of the tornado was 5.1 miles, not 4.3 miles as displayed in the main header for this event.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several large tree limbs around town. Also, a barn on Union Street had its roof blow off and the North Mac High School sustained minor roof and water damage.

The tornado began around 608 pm, one third of a mile northwest of the intersection of Studebaker Avenue and West Frontage Road, or around one and a quarter miles north of Farmersville. The tornado moved east snapping 3 power poles along the frontage road just to the west of Interstate 55. A grain bin originally located just to the west of I-55 was rolled across the interstate and deposited in a tree line a quarter mile to the east of the interstate. A number of trees were also snapped or uprooted in the vicinity of the grain bin. The tornado moved slightly south of due east damaging or destroying two machine sheds along County Road 400E. Debris was scattered well to the east and the tornado appeared to lift near County Road 600E. The maximum damage from this tornado was rated EF-2. The path length was around 3.2 miles with a maximum width of 150 yards.

Thunderstorm winds blew part of the roof off of a large barn...just east of Interstate 55 just south of Illinois Route 48.

A tornado touched down about five miles north of Litchfield, Illinois, where it snapped off a dozen power poles on East 2nd Road near intersection with North 17th Avenue. As it travelled to the east along North 17th Avenue it destroyed several outbuildings, sheds and silos and caused minor to moderate damage to couple of homes just west of Interstate 55. The tornado then crossed I-55 knocking down several power lines onto the highway, causing the interstate to be shut down for about 4 hours until they could be removed. Just east of I-55, the tornado caused extensive damage to a two story log home. A section of the roof was removed and the north and south outer walls were removed as well. Further to the east several farmsteads had minor to moderate damage to homes, barns and other outbuildings. Most of the homes and outbuildings sustained damage rated EF1. One home on Rugby Trail near intersection with North 17th Avenue, approximately three quarters of a mile southeast of Honey Bend, sustained extensive damage with the entire west facing roof was removed. A large outbuilding was also completely destroyed at this farmstead. The damage was rated EF2, with peak winds of 120 mph. The tornado then continued to the east causing minor damage to a home on Shady Lane, then lifted and dissipated near the northern end of Lake Lou Yaeger. The maximum path width of the tornado was 200 yards and the length of the tornado was 3.5 miles. No injuries were reported with this tornado.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a large tree.

Large hail was reported in Alton, Wood River, and Roxana.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees and numerous tree limbs in Belleville. In Swansea, numerous large tree limbs and a couple of large trees were blown down. A few of the trees were blown down onto roads. In Belleville, one of the fallen trees landed on a house damaging the second story and several large limbs landed on unoccupied vehicles causing minor to moderate damage.

Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a few trees and power lines.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several power lines.

Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous large tree limbs.

Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous tree limbs.

Thunderstorm winds blew down a row of power poles along Brookside Avenue. Also, numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm winds damaged several barns, sheds and mobile homes. Also, numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down, mainly on the east side of town. A couple of the trees fell onto homes causing moderate damage. Two industrial buildings had significant roof damage.

Thunderstorm winds blew over a semi on Interstate 57 at the Centralia exit. No injuries were reported.

Several large trees were blown down. One large tree was blown down onto a house on the west side of town causing moderate roof damage. The thunderstorm winds also caused minor roof damage to the elementary school in town. A semi trailer was blown over and a carport was destroyed east of town. Some of the debris from the carport made a hole in the roof of the adjacent mobile home.

A tornado touched down approximately 1 mile east of the Centralia Municipal Airport, west of Moonglow Road and south of Illinois Route 161. Several large healthy trees were uprooted in this area and a convergent pattern was found. A house on the southwest corner of Moonglow Road and Illinois Route 161 sustained EF1 damage when the roof of an attached workshop or garage on the south side of the house was uplifted and thrown to the northwest. At least one 2x4 was driven into the roof on the north side of the house. A house on the southeast corner of Moonglow Rd. and Illinois Route 161 sustained minor roof damage. A trampoline on the south side of this house was blown back to the northwest and was found on the north side of Illinois Route 161. Debris was scattered into a field on the northwest corner of Moonglow Road and Illinois Route 161. As the tornado travelled to the northeast, it crossed Illinois Route 161 and damaged the east facing side of a small outbuilding on the northeast corner of Moonglow Road and Illinois Route 161. Further to the northeast, a new pole barn located east of Moonglow Road and south of Firewood Lane collapsed. Then the tornado lifted and dissipated. The total length of this tornado was about 0.4 miles with a maximum width of 50 to 75 yards. Maximum damage was rated EF1 with winds of 95 mph.

Thunderstorm winds blew down numerous trees and power lines.

Numerous large trees were blown over around town. One large tree landed on a garage causing considerable damage.