A cold front triggered scattered strong thunderstorms across portions of central and southeast Illinois on July 20th. One cell produced damaging wind gusts on the west side of Mattoon in Coles 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.
A cold front triggered scattered strong thunderstorms across portions of central and southeast Illinois on July 20th. One cell produced damaging wind gusts on the west side of Mattoon in Coles County. Other storms dropped heavy rainfall in a short period of time, resulting in flash flooding across parts of Crawford, Jasper and Richland counties.
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 20, 11:51 AM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1251 PM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1034 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 COLD FRONT AT 10 AM STRETCHED FROM NEAR DANVILLE TO TAYLORVILLE...AND WAS SHIFTING SE AROUND 15 KTS. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND STORMS HAVE BEEN MOST NUMEROUS IN THE FAR EASTERN CWA...WHICH IS THE WESTERN EXTENT OF A RESPECTABLE LINE OF STORMS THAT EXTENDS EAST INTO OHIO. THIS HIGHER COVERAGE HAS BEEN FOCUSED NEAR ASCENT AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE WHICH WAS TRACKING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GREAT LAKES. EARLIER HAD CELL TRAINING IN CENTRAL VERMILION COUNTY AND A REPORT OF 2.28 INCHES IN TWO HOURS AT DANVILLE WHICH PRODUCED URBAN FLOODING. GIVEN VERY HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER SAMPLED AROUND 2 INCHES ON THE 12Z ILX SOUNDING...AND WEAK WINDS ALOFT WOULD EXPECT MORE ISOLATED POCKETS OF HEAVY RAIN AS THE ZONE OF LIFT ALONG THE FRONT SHIFTS SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE INCREASED POPS OVER THE EASTERN CWA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY...WITH ACTIVITY CLEARING THE FAR SOUTHEAST EARLY THIS EVENING. FARTHER NORTH...MODESTLY COOLER AND DRIER AIR ADVECTING IN ON LIGHT NORTHEAST FLOW...WHICH WILL BRING A LOW/MID 60S DEWPOINT AIRMASS IN ALONG WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S AND AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S WILL PUSH PEAK HEAT INDICES INTO THE UPPER 90S. && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1251 PM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 WEAK COLD FRONT HAD SETTLED SOUTH OF THE TERMINALS BY 1230 PM WITH LIGHT NORTHERLY FLOW SETTING UP...EXCEPT CALM WINDS STILL AT KCMI/KDEC NEAR FRONTAL ZONE. ANY SHOWERS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL NOW STAY SOUTH OF KCMI/KDEC AND BRIEF MVFR CIGS AT KCMI SHOULD SHIFT SOUTH SOON. ASIDE FROM SCT MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT ALONG WITH LIGHT WINDS. WINDS VEER TO THE SOUTHEAST AFTER SUNRISE SUNDAY IN RESPONSE TO A TROF OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE PLAINS. THIS WILL SPARK THE NEXT ROUND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER IA SUNDAY MORNING...WHICH COULD GET INTO THE CENTRAL IL TERMINALS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. 25 && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 328 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 COLD FRONT SLOWLY MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE CWA THIS MORNING...CROSSING INTO THE ILLINOIS RIVER VALLEY AS SOME SCT SHOWERS AND TS POP UP ACROSS THE AREA. DEEP UPPER LOW JUST EAST OF HUDSON BAY...WITH THE SFC LOW OVER ERN CANADA. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE STRETCHING DOWN INTO THE NRN PLAINS...AND GENERALLY SPEAKING...THE MORE PROGRESSIVE FLOW ACROSS THE NRN TIER OF THE COUNTRY WITH THE SOUTHERN HALF IN A SOMEWHAT STAGNANT AIRMASS. MAIN ISSUES FOR THE FORECAST ARE THE IMPACTS FROM A SERIES OF PATTERN SHIFTS. BEHIND TODAYS FRONT...SLIGHTLY COOLER BUT ONLY DRY FOR A SHORT PD THIS EVENING BEFORE A SERIES OF WAVES PUSH PRECIP THROUGH THE REGION FROM SUN THROUGH WED. POPS BREAK DOWN UNDER A WEAK HIGH AT THE END OF THE WEEK...BEFORE YET ANOTHER SYSTEM SPINS UP FOR FRI NIGHT/SAT MORNING NEXT WEEKEND. MODELS WITH A COUPLE DISCREPANCIES...BUT FOR THE MOST PART IN GOOD AGREEMENT EVEN WITH THE DAY 7/DAY 8 SYSTEM NEXT WEEKEND. MAIN ISSUE WILL BE ADDING DEFINITION THAT THE MODELS DO NOT PROVIDE FOR THE MCS ACTIVITY THAT IS ADVERTISED TO RECUR OFF AND ON THROUGH WED. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TOMORROW... FRONT PROGRESSING SLOWLY AND POPS HAD TO BE EXPANDED NWD FOR THE MORNING AS THE BOUNDARY STILL TO THE NW. BETTER CHANCES FOR MORE WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY WITH THUNDER WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON IN THE SE AS THE FRONT HAPPENS TO PUSH THROUGH IN CONCERT WITH PEAK HEATING. TONIGHT...HAVE DROPPED THE LOWS A FEW DEGREES WITH THE EXPECTATION FOR MORE CLEARING. SAT IMAGERY SUPPORTS THAT TO THE NW WHERE THE SKIES CLEAR IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNDARY QUITE QUICKLY. TOMORROW...POPS RETURN FROM THE WEST AS ANOTHER WAVE MOVES INTO THE WEST NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. MODELS HINTING AT BEST CHANCES BEING JUST SOUTH OF THE FA FIRING ALONG THE REMAINING BOUNDARY. LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... POPS CONTINUE TO PLAGUE THE FORECAST THROUGH WED WITH MODERATE TEMPS FOR LATE JULY. BUT THE POPS LACK FINESSE WITH THE SPORADIC TIMING IN MODELS WITH THE UPPER WAVES AND DIURNAL IMPACTS. WED TRYING TO DRY UP A BIT PARTICULARLY INTO THE AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE TRIES TO BUILD IN. STILL IN NWRLY FLOW ALOFT AND WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON WED OVERALL. BRIEF DRY OUT FOR THURSDAY/THU NIGHT UNTIL THE NEXT SYSTEM BLOWS UP OVER THE FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKIES AND PUSHES PRECIP INTO THE MIDWEST. GFS FARTHER NORTH WITH THE SOLUTION AND MAY POTENTIALLY BE DRY FOR CENTRAL ILLINOIS...ECMWF MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE WITH ITS QPF AND SOUTHERLY WITH ITS ROUTE. WILL NEED TO MONITOR FOR THE NECESSARY DETAIL. HJS && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1143 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>053-211645- CASS-CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL- MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-PIATT-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- STARK-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-WOODFORD- 1143 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN SUNDAY AND REMAIN A DAILY THREAT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ054>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-211645- CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM- JASPER-LAWRENCE-MOULTRIE-RICHLAND-SHELBY- 1143 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER...STRONG WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN SUNDAY AND REMAIN A DAILY THREAT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
856 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 W HOOPESTON 40.47N 87.69W
07/20/2013 M1.35 INCH VERMILION IL COCORAHS
PCPN BEGAN AT 0610L.
&&
OUSLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
859 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0855 AM HEAVY RAIN DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/20/2013 M1.50 INCH VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
PCPN OVER THE PAST HOUR.
&&
OUSLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
903 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0859 AM FLOOD DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/20/2013 VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
STREET FLOODING IN DANVILLE.
&&
OUSLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
956 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0955 AM HEAVY RAIN DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/20/2013 M2.28 INCH VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
OUSLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1115 AM CDT SAT JUL 20 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 W HOOPESTON 40.47N 87.69W
07/20/2013 M1.35 INCH VERMILION IL COCORAHS
PCPN BEGAN AT 0610L.
0855 AM HEAVY RAIN DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/20/2013 M1.50 INCH VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
PCPN OVER THE PAST HOUR.
0859 AM FLOOD DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/20/2013 VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
STREET FLOODING IN DANVILLE.
0955 AM HEAVY RAIN DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/20/2013 M2.28 INCH VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
OUSLEYThe Lincoln radar (KILX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:02 UTC.
3 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous tree branches and power lines were blown down on the west side of Mattoon.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain produced 2.00 to 3.00 inches of rainfall in less than two hours during the late afternoon. Flash flooding rapidly developed on rural roads and on streets in the city of Oblong. The rain was relatively short lived, so the flash flooding quickly dissipated by early evening.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain produced 2.00 to 3.00 inches of rainfall in less than two hours during the late afternoon. Flash flooding rapidly developed on rural roads in southeast Jasper County, including streets in the town of Ste. Marie. The rain was relatively short lived, so the flash flooding quickly dissipated by early evening.
Thunderstorms with very heavy rain produced 2.00 to 3.00 inches of rainfall in less than two hours during the late afternoon. Flash flooding rapidly developed on rural roads in northern Richland County. The rain was relatively short lived, so the flash flooding quickly dissipated by early evening.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2013
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: 468072, 470202, 470203, 470204.