Low pressure tracking out of the Plains was responsible for scattered thunderstorms across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 9th. One storm produced wind damage to a few structures in rural Coles County, while another caused a lightning strike and ensuing fire in Clay County.
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.
Low pressure tracking out of the Plains was responsible for scattered thunderstorms across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of May 9th. One storm produced wind damage to a few structures in rural Coles County, while another caused a lightning strike and ensuing fire in Clay County. Yet another cell produced a brief tornado in an open field in Christian County.
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 9, 11:50 AM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1250 PM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 .DISCUSSION... ISSUED 1015 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 FIRST BATCH OF SHOWERS/STORMS HAS PUSHED INTO THE EASTERN CWA. HOWEVER...SOME RENEWED DEVELOPMENT LIFTING NORTHEAST FROM THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY IN AN AREA OF 500 J/KG CAPES...WITH A DECENT LINE OF STORMS FROM ABOUT PITTSFIELD TO CARLINVILLE AT 1015 AM. SHOULD SEE THIS LINE OVERSPREADING THE SOUTHWEST CWA OVER THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. A BIT OF A BREAK IS EXPECTED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SOME RENEWED DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR BY MID AFTERNOON AS AN MCV... CURRENTLY EVIDENT ON RADAR MOSAICS LIFTING INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI...APPROACHES THE AREA. GEELHART && .AVIATION... ISSUED 1250 PM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 BAND OF HEAVIER SHOWERS CURRENTLY PUSHING THROUGH KPIA AND CLIPPING KBMI AREA AND WILL BE OUT OF THESE AREAS BY THE START OF THE NEW TAF PERIOD. MAIN CONCERN CONTINUES WITH PERIODS OF SHOWERS/STORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE KDEC/KCMI MOST LIKELY TO SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT VISIBILITY REDUCTION WITH THE HEAVIER RAIN. FORECAST BECOMES COMPLICATED THIS EVENING...AS VARIOUS MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES PROVIDE FOCUS FOR ADDITIONAL RAIN DEVELOPMENT...BUT MODELS ARE UNDERSTANDABLY STRUGGLING WITH SUCH FINE DETAILS. HAVE LARGELY GONE WITH VCTS MENTIONS FOR LATE EVENING WHILE THE DETAILS BECOME BETTER RESOLVED. LATER ON...MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT ITSELF SHOULD BE IN THE 09-15Z TIME FRAME WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTHWEST...BUT THE LOW CEILINGS SHOULD CONTINUE MOST OF THE MORNING. GEELHART && .PREV DISCUSSION... ISSUED 308 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 NOT MUCH OF A SHIFT IN THE FORECAST...DOMINATED BY PRECIP IN THE NEXT TWO PERIODS...POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. COMPLICATED WEATHER PATTERN IN PROGRESS...AND ABOUT TO GET A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT. MANY BOUNDARIES AT THE SFC AND SEVERAL LOW CENTERS ALOFT MAKING THE OVERALL PATTERN RATHER MESSY. EXITING LOW OF PAST WEEK PULLING OUT TO THE NE...LEAVING A SIGNIFICANT LACK OF FLOW OVER THE AREA AT H5 AS TWO OTHER WAVES MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE MIDWEST. FIRST ONE WILL BE A COMPACT CLOSED LOW MOVING THROUGH THE NRN STREAM AND INTO THE MIDWEST. NEXT WILL BE A SYSTEM MORE RELATED TO THE DEEP ELONGATED UPPER TROF FROM THE FOUR CORNERS TO JUST OFF THE SWRN CAL COAST. SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TOMORROW... NRN STREAM LOW SPINNING ON WV SAT IMAGERY EASILY PICKED UP A COUPLE HOURS AGO OVER NWRN NEB NOW STARTING TO BE MASKED BY THE ENERGY MOVING OUT OF THE SW INTO THE REGION AND THE TS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. STARTING TO PHASE SOMEWHAT WITH SRN SYSTEM AND WILL EVENTUALLY BE PULLED INTO THE DEEPER TROF OVER THE GREAT LAKES ON SAT. FOR NOW...WEAK SFC LOW PRESSURE WITH NRN WAVE...AND COLD FRONT RATHER SLOW AND WEAK DRIFTING INTO THE NWRN PORTION OF THE STATE. HOWEVER...APPROACHING STORMS WITH THE SRN STREAM...AND THE DEVELOPING WARM FRONT...WILL KEEP MOST OF ILX IN A WARM SECTOR LIKE ENVIRONMENT FOR MUCH OF TODAY. LOW CENTER DRIFTING OVER FA TODAY AND DRAGGING ANOTHER WEAK BOUNDARY WITH IT...BRINGING DYNAMICS OVER THE FA IN COLLUSION WITH PEAK HEATING RESULTS IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER. EXPECTING DAMAGING HAIL...AND POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WINDS WITH THE MORE ORGANIZED STORMS. SHEAR BETTER TO THE SW...BUT CAPE VALUES STILL ANTICIPATED INTO THE 1100-1300 J/KG. MAY HAVE A BIT OF MESOSCALE DEPENDENCE ON RE ENERGIZING OF ATMOSPHERE WITH ALL THE TS ACTIVITY EARLY. HOWEVER...MORE THAN A FEW MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES WILL BE IN PLACE IN ADDITION TO COLD POOL REMNANTS. TS ACTIVITY INTO THE EVENING AND TOMORROW MORNING IN THE SOUTH. CONFIDENCE IN LOCATION OF TOMORROW MORNING PRECIP RATHER LOW CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF STORM INDUCED INFLUENCES AND DISTINCT LACK OF FLOW ALOFT TO ESCORT THESE STORMS OUT OF HERE. LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE REGION. MODELS STILL HOLDING ON TO SOME WEAK PRECIP ALONG A SECONDARY WAVE RIPPLING THROUGH THE UPPER TROF ALOFT...RESULTING IN SILENT 20S ON SAT AS WELL. THAT BEING SAID...SUNDAY IS A BIT COOLER WITH THE REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR. HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD IN AND TEMPERATURES SLOWLY COME UP FOR THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS OF NEXT WEEK. NEXT POPS RETURN WITH A COLD FRONT ON WED/WED NIGHT. BUT AT THIS POINT...ABOUT 12-18 HR DIFFERENCES BTWN THE GFS AND THE ECMWF... AND KEEPING THE FORECAST CONSERVATIVE. HJS && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 1145 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 ILZ027>031-036-037-040-041-047-049-050-101100- CASS-FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-MASON-MORGAN-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-SCOTT- STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 1145 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING...AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLOWLY MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING FROM STRONG WINDS AND HAIL. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS INTO THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY FLOODING ALONG MUCH OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE MAIN THREAT FOR STRONG TO LOCALLY SEVERE STORMS WILL BE FROM 3 PM UNTIL 9 PM. ILZ038-042>046-048-051>057-061-101100- CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-COLES-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-LOGAN-MACON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MOULTRIE-PIATT-SANGAMON-SHELBY-VERMILION- 1145 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING FROM STRONG WINDS AND HAIL. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS...WITH A FEW LOCATIONS SEEING OVER AN INCH OF RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE MAIN TIME FRAME FOR ACTIVATION WILL BE FROM 4 PM UNTIL 10 PM. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-101100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 1145 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND MOST OF THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH STRONG WINDS AND HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS...WITH A FEW LOCATIONS SEEING OVER AN INCH OF RAIN BY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON FRIDAY AS A FRONT SHIFTS SOUTH INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LATE WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA. FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG THE WABASH AND LITTLE WABASH BASINS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. PRESENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE PRIMARY TIME FRAME FOR ACTIVATION WILL BE FROM 4 PM UNTIL 10 PM. GEELHART
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
1241 PM CDT THU MAY 09 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1240 PM HEAVY RAIN PANA 39.39N 89.08W
05/09/2013 M1.95 INCH CHRISTIAN IL TRAINED SPOTTER
SWOP REPORT
&&
GEELHARTThe Lincoln radar (KILX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:27 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A pole barn was damaged and shingles were torn off homes nearby.
Ten oil tank batteries were ignited by a lightning strike west of Ingraham.
A tornado touched down in a field 2.4 miles north of Owaneco at 4:41 PM CST. The tornado traveled northward, then lifted 2.9 miles north of Owaneco at East 1200 North Road at 4:42 PM CST. No damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2013Warnings 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: 451249, 451250, 451248.