An approaching storm system triggered a round of showers and thunderstorms across central Illinois during the late evening of May 24th into the early morning of May 25th. A few of the storms produced damaging wind gusts of around 60 mph across portions of DeWitt 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.
An approaching storm system triggered a round of showers and thunderstorms across central Illinois during the late evening of May 24th into the early morning of May 25th. A few of the storms produced damaging wind gusts of around 60 mph across portions of DeWitt 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 24, 7:59 PM CST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 859 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 859 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 A SHORTWAVE UPPER LEVEL PRESSURE TROUGH WILL EJECT NORTHEASTWARD FROM EASTERN KS TOWARD NW IL OVERNIGHT PROMOTING A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET THROUGH WESTERN ILLINOIS AND ASSOCIATED 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR INTO WESTERN ILLINOIS. COMBINED WITH INSTABILITY TO AROUND 1000 J/KG CAPE...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE FROM ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN I-55 AND I-57 WESTWARD THROUGH THE EVENING. AN ISOLATED TORNADO STILL NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION WITH ANY ROTATING STORMS...AND A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS UNTIL 1 A.M. INSTABILITY WILL WANE OVERNIGHT AS NIGHTTIME COOLING DEVELOPS. NEVERTHELESS...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME LIKELY ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS OVERNIGHT AS LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORTWAVE CROSSES THE REGION. IN THE WARM HUMID AIR MASS BEHIND A WARM FRONT THAT CROSSED EARLIER TODAY...LOWS IN THE MID AND UPPER 60S CAN BE EXPECTED...AND BREEZY WINDS 15-20 MPH CONTINUING. NO MAJOR UPDATES EXPECTED THIS EVENING EXCEPT SHORT TERM ADJUSTMENTS FOR CURRENT CONVECTIVE TRENDS AND TEMPERATURES/WIND TRENDS. && .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 230 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEGINNING TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTHERN MISSOURI IN CONJUNCTION WITH A MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE VORTEX (MCV) GENERATED BY AN UPSTREAM STORM COMPLEX LAST NIGHT. THESE CELLS ARE LIFTING MAINLY NORTHWARD AND WILL STAY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. FURTHER EAST...WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE KILX CWA...HOWEVER WEAK WIND SHEAR AND AN OVERALL LACK OF FORCING WILL KEEP AREAL COVERAGE TO A MINIMUM INTO THE EARLY EVENING. STRONGER FORCING WILL GRADUALLY ARRIVE AS A SHORT-WAVE TROUGH EVIDENT ON 19Z/2PM WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ACROSS TEXAS LIFTS NORTHWARD INTO THE REGION LATER THIS EVENING. HIGH-RES MODELS CONTINUE TO DELAY THE ONSET OF WIDESPREAD CONVECTION...WITH THE LATEST HRRR SUGGESTING THAT E/NE PARTS OF THE CWA WILL LIKELY REMAIN DRY UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT. HAVE TAILORED RAIN CHANCES ACCORDINGLY...WITH LIKELY POPS GRADUALLY OVERSPREADING ALL LOCATIONS SOUTHWEST OF A BLOOMINGTON TO PARIS LINE DURING THE EVENING...THEN FURTHER NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT. DESPITE ARRIVAL OF STRONGER LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH TEXAS WAVE...WANING INSTABILITY AFTER SUNSET WILL PREVENT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER FROM MATERIALIZING...ALTHOUGH A FEW CELLS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 230 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 SHORT-WAVE TROUGH WILL EXTEND FROM NORTHERN MISSOURI TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS BY 12Z MON...THEN WILL QUICKLY LIFT NORTHWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES BY MIDDAY. ONCE FEATURE PASSES...SHORT-WAVE RIDGING IN ITS WAKE WILL CREATE SYNOPTIC SUBSIDENCE AND A DRY AFTERNOON. WILL STILL NEED TO WATCH FOR POTENTIAL MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES FROM THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION...AS THESE COULD POSSIBLY TRIGGER ADDITIONAL STORMS LATER IN THE DAY AS THE AIRMASS BECOMES MODERATELY UNSTABLE. AT THIS TIME...THINK SUBSIDENCE AND MID-LEVEL DRYING BEHIND THE WAVE WILL PREVENT CONVECTION...SO WILL GO WITH A DRY FORECAST IN THE AFTERNOON. MAIN STORY ON MONDAY WILL BE THE WINDY AND VERY WARM CONDITIONS. MODELS ARE SHOWING A 50-55KT 925MB JET DEVELOPING FROM THE OZARKS TO THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES LATER TONIGHT. AS MIXING BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE MONDAY MORNING...SOME OF THIS HIGHER MOMENTUM AIR WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE SURFACE RESULTING IN GUSTS OF 30-35MPH. THANKS TO THE STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AND CLEARING SKIES...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL SOAR WELL INTO THE 80S. THE NEXT UPSTREAM SHORT-WAVE CURRENTLY OVER ARIZONA WILL ROUND THE BASE OF THE ROCKIES TROUGH AND LIFT INTO ILLINOIS ON TUESDAY. MODELS CONTINUE TO BE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THIS FEATURE. WILL BRING POPS BACK INTO THE PICTURE AFTER MIDNIGHT MONDAY NIGHT...THEN WILL GO LIKELY ACROSS THE BOARD ON TUESDAY. LATEST DAY 3 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK FROM SPC FEATURES A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE ALONG/SOUTH OF I-70 ON TUESDAY...HOWEVER WIDESPREAD CONVECTION IN THE MORNING WILL LIKELY LIMIT INSTABILITY FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. LATEST NAM SHOWS SBCAPES INCREASING TO 1500J/KG ACROSS THE SE CWA LATE IN THE DAY...WHILE 0-6KM SHEAR REMAINS QUITE WEAK AT AROUND 25KT. WHILE ISOLATED STRONG STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT...WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER SEEMS UNLIKELY IN THE OUTLOOK AREA. ONCE THIS WAVE EXITS THE REGION...FORCING ONCE AGAIN BECOMES MEAGER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. A SUBTLE WAVE MAY PASS THROUGH ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY...SO HAVE MAINTAINED LOW CHANCE POPS AT THAT TIME. THURSDAY STILL APPEARS TO BE THE OVERALL DRIEST DAY OF THE WEEK...WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS AND HIGH TEMPS WELL INTO THE 80S. BY THE END OF THE WEEK...A MORE SIGNIFICANT NORTHERN-STREAM WAVE WILL BEGIN PUSHING A COLD FRONT TOWARD ILLINOIS. STILL SOME MODEL DISCREPANCY WITH THE TIMING OF THAT PROCESS...BUT TRENDS ARE SUGGESTING ENHANCED RAIN CHANCES WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 701 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP TOWARD CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS EVENING...WITH THE FIRST THREE TAF SITES LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED KSPI-KPIA-KBMI DUE TO THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT FROM THE WEST...WHILE KDEC-KCMI LIKELY TO BE AFFFECTED LATER IN THE EVENING AS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FROM THE SOUTH OR WEST CONVERGES ON THE AREA. PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED DESPITE SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA THROUGH THE NIGHT...HOWEVER LOCAL IFR/MVFR VSBY AND MVFR CIGS POSSIBLE IN ISOLD STRONGER TSRA. DIMINISHING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLY IN THE MORNING RESULTING IN VFR CONDITIONS AFTER 15-18Z THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WINDS S 15-20 WITH GUSTS 20-25 KTS OR HIGHER IN VICINITY OF TSRA...DECREASING TO AROUND 15 KTS FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...ONTON SHORT TERM...BARNES LONG TERM...BARNES AVIATION...ONTON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL 747 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>053-251200- CASS-CHRISTIAN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-LOGAN-MACON-MARSHALL-MASON- MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-PEORIA-SANGAMON-SCHUYLER-SCOTT-STARK- TAZEWELL-WOODFORD- 747 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THE STORMS LATE THIS EVENING MAY PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND HAIL IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 A.M. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS ON MEMORIAL DAY SHOULD END BEFORE MIDDAY. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN FOR LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...THEN AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LIMITED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. ILZ044>046-054>057-061-251200- CHAMPAIGN-COLES-DOUGLAS-EDGAR-MOULTRIE-PIATT-SHELBY-VERMILION- 747 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. WHILE THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE...A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS ON MEMORIAL DAY SHOULD END BEFORE MIDDAY. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THEN RETURN AGAIN LATE IN THE WEEK. AT THIS TIME...THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-251200- CLARK-CLAY-CRAWFORD-CUMBERLAND-EFFINGHAM-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND- 747 PM CDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. WHILE THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE...THEY MAY CONTAIN GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIODIC STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO MEMORIAL DAY...WITH THE THREAT DIMINISHING DURING THE AFTERNOON. THESE ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. PERIODIC CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH ADDITIONAL STORMS LATE IN THE EEK. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT TUESDAY WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF SEEING ANY SEVERE WEATHER...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH TONIGHT. ONTON
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:58 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and tree branches were blown down across DeWitt County from Clinton to Farmer City. More than 2000 residents lost power.
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, May 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: 578647.