An organized severe weather outbreak affected southern Illinois with numerous damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail. Most of the damaging winds were south of the Marion-Carbondale area.
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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 PAH wrote it up.
An organized severe weather outbreak affected southern Illinois with numerous damaging wind gusts and isolated large hail. Most of the damaging winds were south of the Marion-Carbondale area. The storms formed along and south of a stalled front that was over southern Illinois and southern Indiana. By the afternoon hours, large amounts of moisture and instability were present, along with plenty of deep-layer wind shear. As a mid-level disturbance lifted out of the Southern Plains, multiple storm clusters and bowing segments formed across Missouri and southern Illinois in a very favorable environment for severe thunderstorms. Dew points were in the lower 70's in many locations in the afternoon, coupled with surface cape values of 3000-4000 j/kg. Boundaries left over from early morning storms also played a role in the placement of afternoon thunderstorm development. Multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms impacted the Middle Mississippi Valley on the first day of the Memorial Day holiday weekend. There were two or three bowing lines of thunderstorms that impacted the region with damaging winds. Individual cells and clusters also developed early on in the event, producing mainly large hail. Multiple rounds of storms over the same locations also resulted in a few flooding issues.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 27, 12:53 PM CST, 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 153 PM CDT Sat May 27 2017 .UPDATE... Issued at 152 PM CDT Sat May 27 2017 Rapid adjustments made to reflect current activity across the WFO PAH Forecast area. Greatest concern at the moment will be the convective complex moving from East Central Missouri, then along and remnant outflow/frontal boundaries south of the Interstate 64 corridor...then again along the common borders of Southeast Missouri, Northeast Arkansas, West Kentucky and Tennessee. | UPDATE Issued at 1133 AM CDT Sat May 27 2017 Convection is developing along outflow boundaries and existing warm frontal boundary over Southern Missouri and parts of Southern Illinois and the Pennyrile of West Kentucky. Some local concern that some of these storms along the boundary may go severe severe before the main bowing line (developing derecho?) reaches the WFO PAH CWA later this afternoon and this evening. Waiting to see what SPC might do with the MDT risk area in their midday update. Also added Flash flood Watch for Carter/Ripley counties from 1 pm today through 7 am Sunday.(see hydro section). && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Monday night) Issued at 134 AM CDT Sat May 27 2017 New SWODY1 outlooks moderate risk for much of FA this pm/evening, with all svr wx hazards possible. AM storms to our west are modeled to affect western ptns FA later this morning, and may lay out a boundary and also blow off debris clouds that could stall development after daybreak. However, differential heating should mix the atmos up enough to allow super charge to take place, with high cape environ and steep mid level lapse rates revealed by model soundings. At some point during the pm hours, cap should break and convection become numerous to widespread, with associated moderate risk of svr extending from late pm into/thru the evening hours. Svr chances begin to diminish overnight as large scale instability is lost the farther east storms push away from source boundary/energy. Primary cold front does not make actual passage until Sunday evening, so until then, we'll be continuing pops along/ahead of the boundary, and this includes a continued slight risk of severe again for mainly Sunday afternoon/early evening. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Friday) Issued at 134 AM CDT Sat May 27 2017 The extended period continues to be troublesome with models flip flopping the best chances for rain. Still dealing with another frontal boundary passage on Tuesday/Tuesday night. The GFS has been the most consistent with the timing of this feature but not as much on QPF. Still, believe that precip chances need to be included for that time frame given the consistency of this signal and the consistency of the GFS ensemble precip means. At this time our confidence does not warrant anything more than slight chances. The ECMWF was never that excited about Tuesday's rain prospects and still isn't. Instead, the 12Z ECMWF brings a front down into the area on Wednesday through Thursday. That is the exact same time that the GFS brings in a reinforcing sfc high pressure system that dries us out. However, the 00Z ECMWF is back to looking like the GFS with the drier weather on Wednesday with the incoming sfc high. The early part of the extended forecast is going to be hinged on exactly what this large upper level low over the upper Great Lakes region/eastern Canada does and the timing and strength of impulses rotating around it. For now, leaning toward the more consistent GFS for guidance. Given the above discussion, POPs will be low Tuesday through Thursday given uncertainty's in the model signals. There has been a stronger signal for more wet weather as we head into the latter half of the week. However, the upper level pattern is not being consistently resoled by the models very well at all. Yesterdays runs indicated more of a southwesterly flow pattern setting up and now the upper flow stays more west northwesterly through Friday. We will continue to have POPs for late week, but work will need to be done on fine tuning these chances as models grasp a better handle on things. && .AVIATION... Issued at 152 PM CDT Sat May 27 2017 Current 18z Saturday TAF issuance will be a challenge with mutiple boundaries focusing VFR to IFR changing conditions. Base forecast includes thunderstorms in each TAF location. Main concern within the next six ho9urs will be the KEVV, KCGI, and KPAH TAF locations for lowered visibility. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 1133 AM CDT Sat May 27 2017 WPC recently upgraded parts of Southern Missouri in a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall through today and tonight. Given the antecedent rainfall this morning, combined with the expected position of the frontal boundary and outflows today, felt it was prudent to add Carter and Ripley counties to the Flash Flood Watch later this afternoon and tonight. Depending on the propagation of the convection along the boundary and the southern end of the expected wind-damaging MCS, may need to extend the Flash Flood Watch to Wayne and Butler counties as well. Will monitor the progression of the storms this afternoon. Minimum rainfall of 1-1.25 inches is likely...with higher amounts possible. Given the flashy nature of runoff and the terrain, as well as the potential for higher public presence outdoors this weekend, decided to go ahead with a Flash Flood Watch for Carter and Ripley counties from 1 pm today through 7 am Sunday. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...Flash Flood Watch through Sunday morning for MOZ107-108. IN...None. KY...None. && UPDATE...Smith AVIATION...Smith HYDROLOGY...Smith
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 222 pm CDT Sat May 27 2017 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-281000- Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton- White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-Johnson-Pope- Hardin-Alexander-Pulaski-Massac-Gibson-Pike-Posey-Vanderburgh- Warrick-Spencer-Fulton-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken-Graves- Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg-Caldwell- Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Daviess-McLean- Muhlenberg-Todd-Perry MO-Bollinger-Cape Girardeau-Wayne MO-Carter- Ripley-Butler-Stoddard-Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid- 222 pm CDT Sat May 27 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Latest forecast trends indicate that an intense line of severe thunderstorms will move into the northwest part of the outlook area, namely southwest Illinois and Southeast Missouri, this afternoon and again this evening. If a line of storms move through the area, they will likely produce widespread wind gusts in excess of 80 mph. The damaging winds could last up to an hour. Depending on the intensity and duration of these lines of severe storms, most of the thunderstorms could completely move through the outlook area by midnight. In addition to the damaging wind potential, isolated severe storms may develop ahead of these lines of thunderstorms today and tonight. These isolated storms would have the potential for large hail, damaging winds, as well as a tornado. At this time, the greatest risk for widespread severe thunderstorms is later this afternoon and this evening. Heavy rainfall and deadly lightning will also be storm hazards. Flash Flooding may also be a possibility in parts of Southeast Missouri late this afternoon and tonight. A moderate risk remains in place for most of the outlook area, except parts of Southwest Indiana and the Pennyrile region of West Kentucky, which remain in an enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday A slight risk of severe thunderstorms is forecast Sunday, especially during the afternoon and early evening. Damaging winds and hail are the primary severe weather hazards, with locally heavy rain and deadly lightning also storm hazards. Thunderstorms are also forecast Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday through Friday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is expected today and tonight. DH/Smith
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:40 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A swath of large hail from quarter to golf-ball size crossed the Mcleansboro area in association with a severe thunderstorm cell.
Some tree damage occurred in the Murphysboro to Carbondale corridor. A tree was blown down on the west side of the city of Murphysboro. In Carbondale, there were at least a couple of snapped or uprooted trees.
Numerous trees and limbs were blown down on the southwest edge of Mt. Vernon. A large limb landed on a home. Most of the tree damage was along and just north of Route 148.
Numerous trees were blown down in the county, especially the southern half of the county. Several trees were blown down on U.S. Route 45, blocking the road completely. Large tree limbs were down in the yard of a residence in Vienna, and four medium to large trees were down at a neighboring residence. Ten to fifteen shingles were blown off a house at Vienna. A few miles west of Vienna, trees were blown over a roadway. Other tree damage occurred between Vienna and Cypress. Within one-half mile of the Massac County line on U.S. Highway 45, large tree limbs were broken, and about a dozen shingles were blown off of a roof.
Numerous trees were blown down across the far southern part of the county near Creal Springs.
A swath of damaging winds crossed northern and central Massac County. Wind speeds estimated up to 80 mph broke utility poles, snapped numerous trees, and blew down a barn. On the western side of the county, power poles were snapped near the intersection of Highway 169 and County Road 12. On the eastern side of the county, a barn was blown down east of Highway 145 near County Road 2. Some of the most concentrated damage was in the New Columbia area, where numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Shingles were blown off a house on the northwest side of New Columbia. Large tree limbs were blown down on U.S. Highway 45 north of Mermet.
A few trees were down.
Some trees were snapped or uprooted.
Widespread wind damage was reported across Jonesboro, including a collapsed garage due to a tree falling on it. Numerous power poles were snapped across town. Numerous trees and power lines were down across the west side of Jonesboro. Some of the trees were up to five feet in diameter. In Anna, a large tree and numerous limbs were down.
A trained spotter estimated the wind gusted to 70 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 2017
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: 692011, 692014, 692012, 692015, 692018, 692022, 692020, 692019, 692023, 692024, 692013.