A small cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms developed along an old outflow boundary across northern Missouri during the late afternoon of July 13th, then tracked southeastward into portions of west-central Illinois during the evening hours. Despite an extremely unstable environment, a layer of warm air aloft prevented widespread severe weather from developing.
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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 small cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms developed along an old outflow boundary across northern Missouri during the late afternoon of July 13th, then tracked southeastward into portions of west-central Illinois during the evening hours. Despite an extremely unstable environment, a layer of warm air aloft prevented widespread severe weather from developing. The storms that tracked across portions of Scott, Morgan, and Sangamon counties produced sporadic wind damage before shifting further southeast and dissipating by late evening.
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 13, 5:54 PM CST, 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 654 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 RATHER STRONG SHORTWAVE FOR THE MIDDLE OF JULY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON WILL HELP TO RE-IGNITE SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE REGION AS WE HEAD THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. AN EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS IN PLACE THANKS TO SURFACE DEW POINTS IN SOME AREAS IN THE LOWER 80S WITH EFFECTIVE SHEAR VALUES OF 60-70 KTS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS. ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER ARE ANTICIPATED IN THIS VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH DISCRETE CELLS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP INITIALLY AND TRACK SOUTHEAST. AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM THIS MORNING'S STORM COMPLEX WAS LOCATED OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND IF STORMS INTERACT WITH THAT BOUNDARY THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES WILL INCREASE. OVERALL, WE STILL ARE THINKING ANY DISCRETE STORMS SHOULD QUICKLY CONGEAL INTO A SEVERE QLCS LATER THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SEVERAL OF THE HI-RES CONVECTIVE ALLOWING MODELS SUGGEST THE PRIMARY AREA IT WOULD TRACK WOULD BE OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...WHERE THE CAP IS FORECAST TO BE THE WEAKEST LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS A RESULT...WE WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY THE HIGHEST POPS OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS FOR TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED OVER EASTERN IL AS WELL TONIGHT...IN ADDITION TO THE RAINS THEY RECEIVED THIS MORNING...AS A RESULT...WE WILL HOLD ON TO THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 12Z TUESDAY ACROSS THE EAST. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 UPPER TROF FORECAST TO ROTATE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES TUESDAY AND COUPLED WITH AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS AND SURFACE TROF APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH...WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED POPS MAINLY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR TOMORROW...MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THE SHORTWAVE TROF WILL THEN SHIFT OFF TO OUR EAST BY LATE TOMORROW EVENING...WITH LINGERING SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE EAST...FOLLOWED BY LITTLE IF ANY THREAT FOR RAIN LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING ALONG WITH A SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR MASS. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL DROP BACK INTO THE 80S FOR WED AND THURSDAY. THE NEXT SHORTWAVE FOR OUR AREA WILL APPROACH LATER ON THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT BRINGING AN INCREASING THREAT FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE REGION. AFTER THAT...LONGER RANGE MODELS ATTEMPT TO AMPLIFY THE UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE NATION AS A TROF ENTERS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN A RETURN TO THE VERY WARM TO HOT WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES BACK INTO THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S. NEXT CHANCE FOR SCATTERED STORMS LOOKS TO BE LATER SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AS A RIDGE TOPPING SHORTWAVE TRACKS TO OUR NORTH ALLOWING A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO APPROACH OUR FORECAST AREA. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 655 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS TERMINALS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER, OVERALL COVERAGE IS LIKELY TO BE LOW, SO CAN'T JUSTIFY MORE THAN A VCTS IN THE TAFS AT THIS TIME. WILL AMENED AS NECESSARY IN ADVANCE OF A TERMINAL BEING IMPACTED. BEYOND THIS EVENING, MOSTLY QUIET WEATHER CONDTIONS ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE 00Z TAF VALID TIME. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR ILZ038-043>046- 053>057-061>063-066>068-071>073. HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ILZ027>031-036>038- 040>045-047>056-061-062-066. && SHORT TERM...SMITH LONG TERM...SMITH AVIATION...BAK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 320 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 ILZ027>031-036-037-040>042-047>052-141100- CASS-CHRISTIAN-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MARSHALL-MASON-MENARD-MORGAN- PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK-TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 320 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SUBSTANTIAL RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL RE-DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON TO EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. THE THREAT SHOULD TRANSITION INTO A MORE WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND EVENT WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 105 TO 108 DEGREES AND A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 P.M. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER...WHILE MINOR FLOODING CONTINUES ON PORTIONS OF THE SPOON RIVER AND SALT CREEK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY...BUT THESE ARE CURRENTLY NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. HEAT INDICES AROUND 100 OR GREATER WILL RETURN FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON THE ILLINOIS RIVER. MINOR FLOODING ON THE SPOON RIVER AND SALT CREEK WILL SUBSIDE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...BUT WILL PERSIST ALONG THE WESTERN END OF THE SANGAMON RIVER MUCH OF THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING. ILZ038-043>045-053>056-061-062-066-141100- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-EFFINGHAM-MACON-MCLEAN- MOULTRIE-PIATT-SHELBY- 320 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. A SUBSTANTIAL RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL RE-DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON TO EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. THE THREAT SHOULD TRANSITION INTO A MORE WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND EVENT WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 105 TO 108 DEGREES AND A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 P.M. MINOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE EAST END OF THE SANGAMON RIVER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY...BUT THESE ARE CURRENTLY NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. HEAT INDICES AROUND 100 OR GREATER WILL RETURN FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. MINOR FLOODING ALONG THE EAST END OF THE SANGAMON RIVER IS EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE EARLY THIS WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING. ILZ046-057-063-067-068-071>073-141100- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-EDGAR-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND-VERMILION- 320 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. A SUBSTANTIAL RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL RE-DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON TO EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. THE THREAT SHOULD TRANSITION INTO A MORE WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND EVENT WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY...BUT THESE ARE CURRENTLY NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. HEAT INDICES AROUND 100 OR GREATER WILL RETURN FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCES LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EVENING. HJS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
142 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0915 AM HAIL 2 SE CASTLETON 41.10N 89.67W
07/13/2015 M1.00 INCH STARK IL TRAINED SPOTTER
0920 AM TSTM WND DMG HOOPESTON 40.47N 87.67W
07/13/2015 VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN AND A SHED DAMAGED BY WIND
0945 AM TSTM WND DMG 4 W BISMARCK 40.27N 87.68W
07/13/2015 VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE AND POWER LINES DOWN 2650 N
0949 AM TSTM WND DMG DANVILLE 40.14N 87.62W
07/13/2015 VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE DOWN ACROSS RAILROAD TRACKS AT 3RD STREET
1020 AM TSTM WND DMG CATLIN 40.07N 87.71W
07/13/2015 VERMILION IL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE AND POWER LINES DOWN ON DOUGLAS ST.
&&
25The St Louis radar (KLSX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:07 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down about 3 miles southwest of Winchester.
Several large tree limbs were knocked down and shingles were blown across the road on South Westgate Avenue.
A few power poles were blown down on the south side of Jacksonville.
Several two to four-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down in Murrayville.
A tree split and landed on a house at 2nd Street and Caldwell in Auburn. In addition, a large branch was blown onto a garage across from the high school on 7th Street.
Several large tree branches were blown down and a few homes had minor shingle damage on the south side of Pawnee.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2015
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: 584666, 584661, 584662, 584663, 584701, 584680.