5 miles southeast of Tilton in Vermilion County during the early morning of July 25th. Easterly winds of 55 to 75 mph created considerable damage in a 2 block by 4 block area one quarter of a mile wide.
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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.
An isolated thunderstorm produced a microburst 1.5 miles southeast of Tilton in Vermilion County during the early morning of July 25th. Easterly winds of 55 to 75 mph created considerable damage in a 2 block by 4 block area one quarter of a mile wide.
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 Jul 25, 2:02 AM CST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 302 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 300 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012 LATEST SURFACE MAP SHOWING FRONTAL BOUNDARY CURVING AROUND THE WEST AND SOUTHERN FRINGES OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING...PUSHING NORTHWARD. HAVE BEEN SEEING SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER MAINLY THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA THE LAST FEW HOURS...BUT A LARGE AREA OF CLEAR SKIES WAS JUST TO OUR WEST. TEMPERATURES NORTH OF I-74 HAVE DIPPED INTO THE LOWER 70S AS OF 2 AM...BUT STILL SEEING QUITE A FEW LOWER 80S CLOSER TO THE BOUNDARY. MAIN CONCERNS ARE IN THE SHORT TERM...NAMELY THE RECORD HEAT TODAY AND ANY POTENTIAL NEED FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO HEADLINES. ALSO HAVE CONCERNS WITH CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT... LATEST VERSIONS OF THE NAM-12 AND HRRR HAVE A FAIR HANDLE ON THE CURRENT CONVECTION...AND HAVE THE RAIN OUT OF THE AREA BY MID- MORNING. WILL MAKE A LAST-MINUTE CALL ON HOW TO HANDLE THE ACTIVITY IN THE ZONES. OTHERWISE...THE MAIN STORY WILL BE THE BRUTAL HEAT. TIME-HEIGHT HUMIDITY CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING ANY CLOUD COVER RAPIDLY MOVING EAST OF THE AREA LATE THIS MORNING AS THE FRONT LIFTS NORTH OF THE AREA. DEEP MIXING FROM AROUND 750 MB SHOULD BRING DRIER AIR DOWN FROM ABOVE..AND HELP DROP DEW POINTS INTO THE 60-65 DEGREE RANGE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS ALSO EXPECTED TO PICK UP AND GUST TO AROUND 20-25 MPH. TEMPERATURES AGAIN EXPECTED TO SOAR INTO TRIPLE DIGIT TERRITORY...AND HAVE NOT MADE ANY CHANGES TO EARLIER HIGHS OF 103-107. MUCH OF THE CWA LIKELY TO SEE RECORD HIGHS TODAY. WITH THE DRIER AIR...HEAT INDEX VALUES SHOULD ONLY BE A FEW DEGREES ABOVE THE OBSERVED TEMPERATURES. THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT THE HEAT ADVISORY WILL NEED TO BE EXTENDED IN AREAS SOUTH OF I-70 THROUGH THURSDAY. HOWEVER...THE NEED IS NOT CLEAR-CUT...DUE TO POTENTIAL FOR CLOUDS AND STORMS. UPPER RIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO FLATTEN TODAY...AS A COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE AREA. PASSAGE OF THE FRONT THROUGH OUR CWA WILL LIKELY TAKE UNTIL MIDDAY OR EARLY AFTERNOON ON THURSDAY. WILL SEE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF I-55 DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT AS THE FRONT APPROACHES...THEN INCREASE OVER THE CWA ON THURSDAY WITH THE HEATING AHEAD OF THE FRONT. MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TODAY WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH...BUT SOME SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THURSDAY MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. WILL SEE SCATTERED STORMS LINGER INTO EVENING ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA. THE NAM MODEL DOES DEVELOP SOME ADDITIONAL SHOWERS LATE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH A SECONDARY BOUNDARY COMING THROUGH THE AREA...BUT THIS DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY AT THE MOMENT. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... UPPER RIDGE TO RE-ESTABLISH ITSELF OVER THE ROCKIES THIS WEEKEND...WITH A BROAD TROUGH PUSHING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SOME MORE REASONABLE TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND. AS THE RIDGE BEGINS TO SHIFT BACK EASTWARD AGAIN... POTENTIAL FOR MCS ACTIVITY OVER THE TOP OF THE RIDGE WILL INCREASE OVER OUR AREA. MOST LIKELY TIME FRAMES FOR THIS WILL BE FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...BUT EXACT LOCATIONS STILL A BIT OF A QUESTION. AS SUCH...WILL NOT GO OVERBOARD ON THE RAIN CHANCES AT THIS TIME. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1152 PM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012 VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE NEXT 24HRS AT ALL TAF SITES. SCATTERED AC WILL LIKELY CONTINUE AT ALL SITES OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE MORNING HOURS. AC APPEARS TO BE IN RESPONSE TO THE SFC FRONT LIFTING BACK NORTH OVERNIGHT. BASED ON SATELLITE LOOPS FROM THIS AFTERNOON BACK WEST...BELIEVE SCATTER AC WILL CONTINUE FOR MOST OF THE DAY AND THEN DISSIPATE DURING THE EVENING HOURS TOMORROW...RESULTING IN CLEAR SKIES TOMORROW EVENING. GOING TO HAVE AC AT 8-9KFT. WINDS WILL BE EASTERLY OVERNIGHT AND THEN BECOME SOUTHEAST IN THE MORNING PRIOR TO THE FRONT MOVING NORTH OF THE SITES...THEN SOUTHWEST DURING THE LATE MORNING TO AFTERNOON AFTER THE FRONT MOVES NORTH. WIND SPEEDS WILL INCREASE TOMORROW BEHIND THE FRONT AS GRADIENT TIGHTENS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...THEN DECREASE AROUND SUNSET. AUTEN && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED 300 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012 HAVE CONCERNS WITH RED FLAG POTENTIAL FOR THIS AFTERNOON. DEEP MIXING SHOULD ALLOW DEW POINTS TO FALL INTO THE LOWER 60S ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE BRUTAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED...THIS LEVEL OF MIXING WOULD DROP HUMIDITY VALUES INTO THE 20-25 PERCENT RANGE THIS AFTERNOON. MAIN ISSUE IS THAT WINDS WILL BE A BIT BORDERLINE. SURFACE WIND GUSTS AROUND 25 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PRIMARILY AREAS WEST OF I-55 BY THIS AFTERNOON...BUT 20-FOOT SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE CLOSER TO 15 MPH... JUST SHY OF CRITERIA. WILL CONTINUE THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FIRE DANGER...AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR ANY POTENTIAL NEED FOR A RED FLAG WARNING. GEELHART && .CLIMATE... ISSUED 300 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012 RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY... BLOOMINGTON...... 106/1934 CHAMPAIGN........ 104/1934 CHARLESTON....... 105/1934 DECATUR.......... 104/1934 JACKSONVILLE..... 108/1934 LINCOLN.......... 105/1934 OLNEY............ 103/1940 PALESTINE........ 103/1901 PEORIA........... 104/1930 SPRINGFIELD...... 103/1936 GEELHART && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ036-040>042- 047>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ027>031-037-038-043>046. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 313 PM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012 ILZ027>031-037-038-043>046-252015- CHAMPAIGN-DE WITT-KNOX-MARSHALL-MCLEAN-PEORIA-PIATT-STARK- TAZEWELL-VERMILION-WOODFORD- 313 PM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 7 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA INTO THE EARLY EVENING WITH HEAT INDICES FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED... HOWEVER STRONGER STORMS WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY VERY HOT AND BREEZY WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY HIGH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 105 TO 110 DEGREES. IN ADDITION...A HEIGHTENED FIRE DANGER WILL EXIST ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY DUE TO DRY VEGETATION...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND BREEZY WINDS. A COLD FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THURSDAY...AND THURSDAY NIGHT. THE BEST CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WHEN DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ036-040>042-047>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-252015- CASS-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR- EFFINGHAM-FULTON-JASPER-LAWRENCE-LOGAN-MACON-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN- MOULTRIE-RICHLAND-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-SHELBY- 313 PM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT DANGEROUSLY HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA INTO THIS EVENING WITH HEAT INDICES ABOVE 100 DEGREES. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS TONIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER STRONGER STORMS WOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY VERY HOT AND BREEZY WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY HIGH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF 105 TO 110 DEGREES. IN ADDITION...A HEIGHTENED FIRE DANGER WILL EXIST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY DUE TO DRY VEGETATION...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...AND BREEZY WINDS. A COLD FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THURSDAY...AND THURSDAY NIGHT. THE BEST CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WHEN DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. 25
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 329 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-251700- KNOX-STARK-PEORIA-MARSHALL-WOODFORD-FULTON-TAZEWELL-MCLEAN- SCHUYLER-MASON-LOGAN-DE WITT-PIATT-CHAMPAIGN-VERMILION-CASS- MENARD-SCOTT-MORGAN-SANGAMON-CHRISTIAN-MACON-MOULTRIE-DOUGLAS- COLES-EDGAR-SHELBY-CUMBERLAND-CLARK-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-CRAWFORD- CLAY-RICHLAND-LAWRENCE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GALESBURG...PEORIA...BLOOMINGTON... NORMAL...HAVANA...LINCOLN...CHAMPAIGN...URBANA...DANVILLE... JACKSONVILLE...SPRINGFIELD...TAYLORVILLE...DECATUR...CHARLESTON... MATTOON...SHELBYVILLE...EFFINGHAM...FLORA...LAWRENCEVILLE 329 AM CDT WED JUL 25 2012 ...HEIGHTENED FIRE DANGER ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS TODAY... A VERY HOT AIRMASS WILL SET UP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THIS HEAT COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS DROPPING INTO THE LOWER 60S DURING THE AFTERNOON WILL PRODUCE LOW AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 25 TO 30 PERCENT. IN ADDITION...IN A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST...SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH VERY DRY VEGETATION DUE TO THE LACK OF RAINFALL THIS GROWING SEASON...WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE UNCONTROLLED SPREAD OF OUTDOOR FIRES. PEOPLE ARE DISCOURAGED FROM OUTDOOR BURNING. IF COOKING OUTDOORS...KEEP A CAREFUL WATCH ON THE GRILL. BURNING EMBERS CAN BLOW AROUND AND EASILY CATCH GRASS ON FIRE. IMPROPERLY DISCARDED CIGARETTES CAN ALSO START FIRES WHICH WILL SPREAD QUICKLY. HJS
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:46 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The roof of a trailer was damaged, two power poles were snapped, and numerous trees were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2012
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: 393932.