An advancing cold front triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of east-central and southeast Illinois during the pre-dawn hours of April 19th. The most significant cluster impacted Clay County, causing widespread wind damage across the northern two-thirds of the 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.
An advancing cold front triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across parts of east-central and southeast Illinois during the pre-dawn hours of April 19th. The most significant cluster impacted Clay County, causing widespread wind damage across the northern two-thirds of the county. Another cell further north resulted in minor wind damage in Clark 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 Apr 19, 12:43 AM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 143 AM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered thunderstorms this morning will be capable of large hail and damaging wind gusts. There is a level 2 of 5 (slight) risk for severe weather until 7am. Then, a marginal risk (level 1 of 5) lingers near and south of the I-70 corridor today. - Some training thunderstorms this morning into the afternoon may result in localized flooding, with the highest risk near and south of roughly I-70. - On Sunday, there is slight risk for severe weather for the southwest portion of the CWA and a marginal risk as far east as the I-57 corridor. There is an enhanced (level 3 out of 5) risk for severe weather just to the west of Schuyler and Scott counties. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 143 AM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025 Well the cap never broke this past evening. However, the storms from southwest of the CWA have finally arrived this morning. A slight risk for severe weather still exists for central and southeastern IL through 12z, so a few of these storms could be strong-to-severe. Primarily watching out for damaging winds and 1 inch hail. The passing cold front will stall out over central IL today. We are still expecting heavy showers and potentially strong storms into the morning. Showers, heavy at times, will continue into the afternoon for areas near and south of I-72. CAMs show a break in the rain from 00z to 10z Sunday. Then as the boundary lifts back north as a warm front, more rain and thunderstorms enter the forecast area. The warm front is connected to a secondary low pressure system that will lift northeastward Sunday. More severe weather is forecast for much of the day, Sunday. There looks to be a morning round associated with the warm front, and then an evening round with the cold front passage. Sunday's severe threat looks to be a classic high shear / low CAPE day. Highest shear will be located closest to the triple point region, with a few hundred J/kg of CAPE ahead of the front. SPC has a slight risk for the southwest portion of the CWA and a marginal risk as far east as the I-57 corridor. There is an enhanced (level 3 out of 5) risk for severe weather just to the west of Schuyler and Scott counties. The rainfall from this morning to Monday morning from the multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms is forecast to be from 1-2 inches. The HREF has a 70% chance of more than 1.5 inches of rain along the I-70 corridor through Sunday evening. Creeks and streams may become stressed with the additional rainfall, especially if they are already quite high from the previous weeks. Beyond Monday morning, a high pressure settles in for Monday and Tuesday, bringing calmer weather. Then several more rounds of rain are possible through the rest of the work week as multiple waves pass overhead. The next week will be above normal temperature-wise, with highs in the 70s to near 80s and lows in the 50s to 60s. Copple && .AVIATION... (For the 06z TAFs through 06z Saturday Night) Issued at 1212 AM CDT Sat Apr 19 2025 A slow moving cold front is in the process of moving across central Illinois late tonight, roughly positioned just east of the I-55 corridor as of midnight. South-southwest winds ahead of the front will shift to the west-northwest behind it with speeds of around 15 kts or less. A cluster of storms in southern Missouri will lift northeast overnight, spreading showers and storms into the area roughly between 08-12Z. The better chances for thunderstorms will be south of the terminals. However, did add PROB30 groups for -TSRA at KSPI and KDEC for the isolated threat of lightning. MVFR ceilings will be common overnight and linger into Saturday. Some improvements to ceilings should be seen over the northern half of Illinois by Saturday afternoon, but the previously mentioned cold front will stall out near the I-70 corridor, keeping low stratus in place over parts of central and southern Illinois through the end of the TAF period. NMA && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 346 PM CDT Fri Apr 18 2025 ILZ027>031-036>038-040>043-047>051-191100- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Marshall-Woodford-Fulton-Tazewell-McLean-Schuyler- Mason-Logan-De Witt-Cass-Menard-Scott-Morgan-Sangamon- 346 PM CDT Fri Apr 18 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon near the Illinois River, spreading eastward and continuing into the evening. Some of these storms may become severe, with damaging winds and large hail the main threats. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Additional severe thunderstorms are possible Sunday. These could have a risk of a few tornadoes, large hail, and locally damaging wind gusts. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed between 5 pm and 10 pm. Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 50 mph. ILZ044>046-052>057-061-191100- Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles- Edgar-Shelby- 346 PM CDT Fri Apr 18 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Southwest winds will gust to around 40 mph this afternoon, causing difficult travel for high profile vehicles. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to spread eastward into the area this evening. Some of these storms may become severe, with damaging winds and large hail the main threats. Areas of heavy rain are also expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Thunderstorms will be scattered from Saturday through Sunday evening. A few of these storms may be strong to severe with hail and locally damaging winds the main threats. Periods of heavy rain will continue into Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed between 6 pm and midnight. Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 50 mph. ILZ062-063-066>068-071>073-191100- Cumberland-Clark-Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 346 PM CDT Fri Apr 18 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Illinois and southeast Illinois. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Although showers and a few thunderstorms are possible this evening, the strongest storms look to arrive late tonight, which could be strong to severe with, with damaging winds and large hail the main threats. Areas of heavy rain are also expected after midnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Thunderstorms will be scattered from Saturday through Sunday evening. A few of these storms may be strong to severe with hail and locally damaging winds the main threats. Periods of heavy rain will continue into Sunday. This heavy rain may cause renewed flooding on parts of the Little Wabash and Wabash Rivers early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed after midnight. Expected storm motion is toward the northeast around 45 mph. 37
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:46 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A carport was damaged and a few tree limbs were blown down.
A large farm outbuilding had part of its roofing stripped off and its walls collapsed.
A tree was blown over.
Several power poles were blown down near the intersection of Sailor Springs Road and Venus Road.
Numerous trees and power poles were blown down and a few barns were damaged from 2 miles north of Flora throughout the northern part of Clay County.
A tree was blown down onto a road.
A large tree branch was blown onto a home.
A small farm outbuilding was blown over.
A carport was damaged.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, April 2025
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: 1249352, 1249364, 1249363, 1249353, 1249360, 1249355, 1249362, 1249366, 1249367.