A slow-moving storm system brought showers and thunderstorms to central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 30th. Some of the storms became severe, producing damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph and locally heavy 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 slow-moving storm system brought showers and thunderstorms to central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 30th. Some of the storms became severe, producing damaging wind gusts in excess of 60 mph and locally heavy rainfall. Isolated flash flooding occurred in areas where persistent rains fell on very saturated ground.
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 30, 1:53 PM CST, 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 253 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 242 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY SEVERAL ROUNDS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACCOMPANIED BY DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY A FEW TORNADOES (ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY). HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR CONCERN...ESPECIALLY OVER PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS THAT WILL AFFECT THE ILLINOIS...SANGAMON AND SPOON BASINS (SEE HYDRO SECTION BELOW). NO CHANGES PLANNED IN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOPED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON OVER PARTS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS IN A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WITH MIXED LAYER CAPES OF 1500-2000 J/KG. UPPER AIR DATA INDICATED 40-50 KTS AT 850 MB ALONG WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOW TEENS OVER PARTS OF ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI STREAMING NORTHEAST TOWARDS ARE AREA. FURTHER TO THE WEST...A MORE LINEAR COMPLEX OF STORMS WAS TRACKING EAST AND NORTHEAST OVER PARTS OF MISSOURI AND SHOULD PUSH THRU OUR AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. AFTER THAT...WILL TRY TO BRING IN A BREAK WITH THE PRECIP LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT BEFORE ANOTHER COMPLEX OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE APPROACHING THE AREA BY FRIDAY MORNING. WIND PROFILES...ALTHOUGH RATHER STRONG TODAY...WILL PALE IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THE MODELS ARE DEPICTING FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED TO ROTATE NE TOWARDS THE REGION DURING THE DAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATING SB CAPES OF 1800-2100 J/KG WITH 0-3KM HELICITY VALUES OF 250-300...AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR VALUES OF 50 KTS BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE INCLUDING A FEW TORNADOES...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL...IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAINFALL. RAINFALL TOTALS OF BETWEEN 2 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS TRAIN...AND THAT APPEARS MOST LIKELY TOMORROW NIGHT OVER SOUTHWEST THRU CENTRAL ILLINOIS. THE COLD FRONT WILL BE PUSHING ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY WITH ONE MORE ROUND OF STORMS EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. LINGERING RAIN CHANCES WILL BE WITH US SUNDAY NIGHT WITH THE SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL LOW FINALLY PULLING AWAY FROM THE LOWER LAKES REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK. LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ALTHOUGH QUIETER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY AND TUESDAY...ANOTHER SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY TUESDAY AND START AFFECTING OUR AREA AGAIN WITH RAIN EITHER LATE TUESDAY NIGHT OR WEDNESDAY...AND UNFORTUNATELY... RAIN CHANCES WILL HANG AROUND SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THAT AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW SLOWLY TRACKS ACRS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND INTO THE UPPER LAKES REGION BY NEXT THURSDAY. SMITH && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1258 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP WITHIN THE WARM SECTOR ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. THE STORMS WILL TRACK FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE AREA...PRIMARILY IMPACTING LOCATIONS WEST OF I-57. BASED ON LATEST RADAR DATA...HAVE INCLUDED A TEMPO GROUP FOR THUNDER AT ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT KCMI. WILL NEED TO MONITOR LARGER COMPLEX OF STORMS DEVELOPING FURTHER WEST OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS AS IT MAY WORK ITS WAY EASTWARD INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME...WILL FOCUS ON THE IMMEDIATE CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AND KEEP OVERNIGHT FORECAST DRY UNTIL TRENDS BECOME MORE APPARENT. WINDS WILL BE STRONG/GUSTY THROUGH THE PERIOD. GUSTS WILL FREQUENTLY EXCEED 30KT THIS AFTERNOON...THEN WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO BETWEEN 10 AND 15KT LATE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. BARNES && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED 245 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS INTO SATURDAY BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER 2 INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN BY SUNDAY MORNING. THE ILLIINOIS AND SPOON ARE ALREADY SEEING SIGNIFICANT FLOODING OCCURRING WHILE THE SANGAMON BASIN WAS EXPERIENCING MODERATE IN BANK RISES. EVENTUALLY...THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINS WILL SHIFT GRADUALLY EAST AND SOUTH LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY...WITH THE WABASH...LITTLE WABASH AND EMBARRAS BASINS NEXT TO SEE SIGNIFICANT RISES IN RIVER LEVELS LATE IN THE WEEKEND. SMITH && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR ILZ027>031- 036>038-040>042-047>051. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1135 AM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>042-047>051-311100- CASS-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA- SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 1135 AM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WITH SATURATED SOILS FROM HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE PAST 4 DAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. EARLY INDICATIONS SUGGEST TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE COMMON THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS WITHIN STRONGER STORMS. THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS SHOULD DIMINISH WEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER ON SATURDAY. FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE SPOON RIVER THROUGH MONDAY OR TUESDAY. RIVER LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO RISE ALONG THE ILLINOIS RIVER AS WELL...WITH ALL POINTS FROM HENRY DOWNSTREAM GOING ABOVE FLOOD STAGE FROM FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ILZ043>046-052>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-311100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-CLAY-COLES-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT- DOUGLAS-EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-MACON-MOULTRIE-PIATT- RICHLAND-SHELBY-VERMILION- 1135 AM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...HOWEVER SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. EARLY INDICATIONS SUGGEST TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES WILL BE COMMON THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS WITHIN STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. BARNES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
124 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013
ILZ028-301900-
STARK-
124 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR STARK COUNTY UNTIL 200 PM CDT...
AT 117 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TOULON...OR 10 MILES SOUTH OF KEWANEE...
MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS OF 50 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
OSCEOLA...
PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN.
LAT...LON 4124 8967 4123 8964 4103 8979 4106 8996
4116 8996 4116 8987 4123 8987 4124 8986
TIME...MOT...LOC 1824Z 200DEG 38KT 4117 8984
KMHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
227 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013
ILZ063-067-068-071>073-302030-
CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND-
227 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR JASPER...NORTHWESTERN LAWRENCE...
RICHLAND...SOUTHEASTERN CLAY...SOUTHERN CLARK AND WESTERN CRAWFORD
COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM CDT...
AT 225 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PARKERSBURG TO
SCHNELL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
NOBLE...
CLAREMONT...
BOGOTA...
OLNEY...
DUNDAS...
WEST LIBERTY...
OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BERRYVILLE...WENDELIN...OLNEY
NOBLE AIRPORT...NEWTON LAKE...WAKEFIELD AND GILA.
PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN.
LAT...LON 3858 8816 3859 8816 3860 8838 3867 8837
3916 8826 3918 8769 3857 8796
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 235DEG 35KT 3863 8801 3865 8828SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 232 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 ILZ037-038-041-042-048-051-302015- LOGAN-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-SANGAMON-TAZEWELL- 232 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN MASON...EASTERN MENARD... NORTHERN SANGAMON...NORTHWESTERN LOGAN...SOUTHEASTERN TAZEWELL AND SOUTHWESTERN MCLEAN COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT... AT 225 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WILLIAMSVILLE...OR 13 MILES NORTH OF SPRINGFIELD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MIDDLETOWN... LINCOLN... HARTSBURG... EMDEN... SAN JOSE... DELAVAN... OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...FANCY PRAIRIE...BROADWELL AND NEW HOLLAND. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING. PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. LAT...LON 4049 8961 4044 8904 3977 8959 3988 8976 TIME...MOT...LOC 1931Z 200DEG 35KT 4002 8959 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
312 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013
ILZ030-031-037-038-042-043-302100-
DE WITT-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MCLEAN-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD-
312 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN TAZEWELL...NORTHERN
LOGAN...NORTHWESTERN DE WITT...SOUTHEASTERN MARSHALL...WESTERN MCLEAN
AND WOODFORD COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM CDT...
AT 304 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ARMINGTON...OR 13 MILES NORTH OF LINCOLN...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MACKINAW...
DANVERS...
GOODFIELD...
DEER CREEK...
CARLOCK...
EUREKA...
OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...CONGERVILLE AND BENSON.
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THURSDAY EVENING.
PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION
CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE
APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN.
LAT...LON 4093 8894 4092 8892 4076 8892 4076 8865
4073 8860 4010 8928 4012 8950 4093 8934
TIME...MOT...LOC 2012Z 200DEG 40KT 4042 8933
KMHThe Lincoln radar (KILX), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:21 UTC.
18 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
A large tree was blown down onto Illinois Route 116 at 3000E and 1900N.
A tree was blown down.
Several small trees were blown down at the Weinberg King State Fish and Wildlife Area. A few larger trees were knocked down along Highway 101 east of Augusta near the Schuyler/Hancock County line.
A band of thunderstorms with heavy rain produced more than 2.00 inches of rain in 90 minutes during the evening of May 30th. The greatest impact was on roads near the La Moine River, which became inundated and were closed from late evening into the night. Several rural roads between Rushville and the La Moine River were also flooded and impassable in spots.
Empty train cars were blown over near Lowder.
Two grain bins and two grain dryers were destroyed on a farm.
Six power poles were snapped close to a sub-station located near Auburn Road and Lead Line Road.
Several power poles were snapped near Loami.
Several power lines were blown down around town. A tree fell on a house.
A large tree was blown down, blocking both lanes of Highway 10 just east of Clinton.
Power lines were blown down in Wapella.
A few trees were blown down at New Salem State Park along State Highway 97.
Already saturated ground and an additional 2.00 to 3.00 of rain during the late evening of May 30th resulted in flooding of many rural roads in eastern Tazewell County. The greatest impact was from Hopedale to the village of Minier. The flash flooding subsided during the early morning hours of May 31st.
Already saturated ground and an additional 2.00 to 3.00 of rain during the late evening of May 30th resulted in flooding of many rural roads in northern Logan County. The greatest impact was from Emden to Hartsburg where the water was 18 to 24 inches deep in spots. The flash flooding subsided during the early morning hours of May 31st.
A flag pole was snapped.
Several tree branches were blown down around Champaign.
A semi truck was blown over on Route 33 near Dieterich.
Several trees and power poles were blown down near Island Grove.
Several large tree branches were blown down and a flag pole was bent.
A few trees were blown down in Clarksville.
A band of thunderstorms with heavy rain produced more than 2.00 inches of rain in 90 minutes during the evening of May 30th. The greatest impact was on roads near the La Moine River, which became inundated and were closed from late evening into the night. Several rural roads between Rushville and the La Moine River were also flooded and impassable in spots. Additional rainfall during the very early morning hours of May 31st kept many roads closed in southern Schuyler County. The flooding subsided by early afternoon on May 31st.
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, May 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: 453014, 453015, 453016, 453018, 456589, 453019, 453020, 453021, 453022, 453036, 453038, 453040, 453024, 456593, 456594, 453025, 453041, 453027, 453029, 453043, 453030, 456590.