Power Outage in Pekin, IL

A powerline was blown down on Jay Street in East Peoria.

A tree was blown onto powerlines.

A power pole caught fire on Winkler Road northeast of Mackinaw.

A tree and a few powerlines were blown down on Grosenbach Road.

Numerous power poles were blown down and siding was damaged on a house along Weir Road between Jacob Road and Wagonseller Road.

Numerous power poles were blown down and siding was damaged on a house along Weir Road between Jacob Road and Wagonseller Road.

Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down around Pekin.

Numerous observers measured between 0.30 and 0.40 ice across Tazewell County. The heavy ice accumulation snapped many tree branches, caused scattered power outages, and created slick and hazardous travel conditions.

A power pole was snapped near Jefferson Street and Westshore Drive.

Westerly winds increased to around 40mph with gusts of 50-60mph. Numerous large tree limbs and power lines were blown down. In addition, a large Taco Bell sign was blown over in Morton.

A tornado touched down 2.1 miles southwest of South Pekin at 10:19 PM CDT. The tornado tracked east-southeast...destroying a shed, blowing over several 18 to 24-inch diameter trees, and knocking over power poles north of Christmas Tree Road near Highway 29 before dissipating about 2.4 miles southeast of South Pekin at 10:22 PM CDT.

A power line was blown down on Mennonite Church Road south of Highway 9.

Eighteen power poles were snapped along Springfield Road between Highway 9 and Allentown Road.

Power poles and power lines were blown down northwest of Green Valley.

A large tree and several power lines were blown down in Pekin.

Power lines were blown down in Washington.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down on the north side of Morton north of I-74 from Lakeland Road eastward to Tennessee Avenue.

Weather observers across Tazewell County reported ice accumulations of up to 0.25. This amount of ice combined with winds gusting as high as 45 to 55 mph caused extensive damage to trees, power poles, and power lines. Several homes were damaged by falling trees and tree branches. About 60,000 people lost power for up to 4 days after the storm.

A few trees and power lines were blown down in Marquette Heights.

Two trees were uprooted and several large tree limbs were blown down around Pekin. Numerous power lines were knocked down as well.

A large tree was blown onto power lines in Schaeferville.

A few trees and power lines were blown down in Pekin.

A tornado touched down 2.4 miles SE of East Peoria at 10:59 AM CST, then tracked northeastward through parts of East Peoria and Washington before crossing the border into Woodford County at 11:12 AM CST. One man in Washington was killed by the tornado, one woman from Washington died 11 days later from multiple serious injuries sustained by the tornado, one man died six weeks later from injuries sustained by the tornado, and 121 people were injured.| |In East Peoria: 20 homes were destroyed, while 75 homes, 7 businesses, and 5 apartment buildings suffered major damage. Minor damage occurred to 137 homes and 3 businesses. In addition, nearly 400 vehicles were damaged, thousands of trees and numerous power poles were destroyed. The estimated damage in East Peoria stands at $110 million.||In Washington: The tornado increased to EF4 intensity and widened to between 1/4 and 1/2 mile wide. 633 homes, 7 businesses, 7 apartment buildings, and 2,500 vehicles were destroyed. Major damage occurred to 280 homes, 2 businesses, the roof of a school, and several outbuildings. Minor damage occurred to another 190 homes. Thousands of trees and power poles were snapped. Nearly 5,000 people were in the path of this tornado: however, injury and fatality totals were relatively low due to early warning and the fact that many people were either in church or out of town at the time. The tornado moved out of the Washington city limits and across another 2 miles of rural Tazewell County before crossing the border into Woodford County. Total damage in Washington is estimated at $800 million.

A tornado touched down 2.4 miles SE of East Peoria at 10:59 AM CST, then tracked northeastward through parts of East Peoria and Washington before crossing the border into Woodford County at 11:12 AM CST. One man in Washington was killed by the tornado, one woman from Washington died 11 days later from multiple serious injuries sustained by the tornado, one man died six weeks later from injuries sustained by the tornado, and 121 people were injured.| |In East Peoria: 20 homes were destroyed, while 75 homes, 7 businesses, and 5 apartment buildings suffered major damage. Minor damage occurred to 137 homes and 3 businesses. In addition, nearly 400 vehicles were damaged, thousands of trees and numerous power poles were destroyed. The estimated damage in East Peoria stands at $110 million.||In Washington: The tornado increased to EF4 intensity and widened to between 1/4 and 1/2 mile wide. 633 homes, 7 businesses, 7 apartment buildings, and 2,500 vehicles were destroyed. Major damage occurred to 280 homes, 2 businesses, the roof of a school, and several outbuildings. Minor damage occurred to another 190 homes. Thousands of trees and power poles were snapped. Nearly 5,000 people were in the path of this tornado: however, injury and fatality totals were relatively low due to early warning and the fact that many people were either in church or out of town at the time. The tornado moved out of the Washington city limits and across another 2 miles of rural Tazewell County before crossing the border into Woodford County. Total damage in Washington is estimated at $800 million.

This tornado crossed the Illinois River from Peoria County at 10:53 AM CST. It tracked through the northwest side of Pekin before lifting 2 miles northeast of Pekin at 10:54 AM CST. Approximately 179 houses and 6 businesses suffered major damage, while 182 houses experienced minor roof damage. In addition, 3 apartment buildings lost their roofs, a power substation had minor damage, and hundreds of cars were damaged. Ten people were injured.

A tornado touched down in far eastern Peoria County about 4 miles ENE of Mapleton at 10:52 AM CST. The tornado uprooted dozens of trees and snapped several power poles before crossing the Illinois River into Tazewell County at 10:53 AM CST.

A tornado touched down 2.9 miles north of Washington in northern Tazewell County, then continued eastward to the Tazewell-Woodford County line. Numerous trees and power poles were snapped along the path of the tornado. Three large outbuildings and two hog sheds were destroyed. In addition, the roof of a farm house was lifted off, the roof of another house was severely damaged, a garage was destroyed, and a grain bin was blown one quarter of a mile into a field. The tornado then continued eastward into Woodford County.

A few trees were blown down and scattered power outages were noted in Pekin.

A swath of wind damage occurred along a line from Pekin to Delavan east to along a line from Mackinaw to Hopedale. Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees, tree limbs and power lines. One tree fell onto an unoccupied truck damaging it.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines blown down between Pekin and Armington.

Several trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

A tornado touched down near the Powerton power plant throwing chunks of coal into the air. It traveled northeast towards a lumber yard. It destroyed the roofs on a couple of sheds, before lifting and dissipating. No injuries were reported.

Thunderstorms winds blew down numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines, especially in the northern half of the county. Several cars in a shopping center parking lot in Morton were damaged due to flying debris. No injuries were reported.

When the tornado moved from Mason County into Tazewell County it blew down more trees and power lines. Also, several sheds were destroyed before it lifted and dissipated 5 miles south southeast of Green Valley. No injuries were reported.

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

Power lines and trees were blown down in both locations.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Reports of 60 mile per hour or greater wind gusts were reported across the area. Numerous trees and power lines were reported down in Pekin. A construction trailer was blown over and traveled some 100 feet from its original location. A large construction sign at the Pekin Energy plant, made of steel and brick, was partially blown over. No injuries were reported and no damage estimates were available.

A twelve inch diameter tree was blown down onto some power lines.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down countywide.

Several power lines were blown down.

Widespread damage was reported countywide. In Green Valley, a large empty grain bin was blown over, several sheds destroyed, and an irrigation system was wrapped around a couple of power poles. In Groveland, a radio tower was blown down, causing $500,000 in damage. New townhouses under construction in Pekin were destroyed. In Morton, part of a roof from a business was blown off. Debris from the roof damaged 3 cars in the parking lot. In Washington the storm intensified. A building housing a restaurant and a bakery was destroyed and a hanger at a private airport was destroyed. Three planes in the hanger were damaged. In Minier, several homes sustained roof damage and a couple of sheds were destroyed. Also, numerous trees, tree limbs, power poles, and power lines were blown down countywide.

A deep area of low pressure tracking from eastern Nebraska to northern Wisconsin produced very strong gradient winds across central and southeast Illinois on March 14th. As higher momentum air associated with a powerful low-level jet streak mixed to the surface, winds gusted as high as 60-65mph along and south of a Taylorville to Danville line where a High Wind Warning was in effect. Peak measured wind gusts included 67mph at the Lawrenceville Airport, 61mph at Capital Airport in Springfield, and 59mph at the Decatur Airport. Scattered wind damage was reported.

An Arctic cold front plunged through central Illinois on January 29th, bringing a bitterly cold airmass into the region. Temperatures bottomed out on the morning of January 30th when readings ranged from 15 below to 25 below zero everywhere north of the I-70 corridor. Record lows were observed at many sites, including 20 below zero at Peoria, 19 below zero at Lincoln, and a record-tying 14 below zero at Springfield. In addition, strong northwesterly winds gusting 25-35mph created dangerous wind chill readings of 40 to 50 below zero. Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington logged their all-time coldest wind chill of 53 below zero on the morning of the 30th. Winds gradually eased as the day progressed: however, actual air temperatures remained below zero along and north of I-72. With light winds and fresh snow cover, low temperatures once again fell into the teens below zero by the early morning of January 31st, with Peoria establishing a new record low for the date of 19 below zero. Temperatures finally warmed above zero by the afternoon of the 31st, but didn't substantially warm until February 1st when readings climbed well into the 20s and lower 30s.||Due to the historic cold outbreak, the governor of Illinois declared a State of Emergency. Hundreds of schools, colleges, and universities were closed. Illinois state offices were closed and the postal service cancelled service across much of west-central Illinois. AMTRAK suspended normal services as well. A water main leak in downtown Peoria caused the closure of City Hall. More than 500 customers lost power across portions of Peoria and Tazewell County for several hours on the morning of the 30th...mainly impacting the town of Hopedale. Illinois State Police transported 21 people from a broken down charter bus on I-55 in extreme southern Sangamon County to a nearby restaurant for warmth. In addition, frost quakes were reported during the peak of the cold at various locations around central Illinois.||One person died due to cold exposure during this event...an 82 year-old man in Marquette Heights.

Scattered slow-moving thunderstorms developed along old convective outflow boundaries during the afternoon and early evening of July 5th. Pockets of heavy rainfall occurred, with amounts exceeding 3 inches across portions of Peoria, Tazewell, and Vermilion counties. Localized flash flooding was observed, especially in Danville in Vermilion County where several cars were stalled in high water. Further southeast, thunderstorm wind gusts brought 5 power poles down west of Lawrenceville in Lawrence County.

An upper-level disturbance rotating around a deep low over the Great Lakes triggered widely scattered thunderstorms across north-central Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of August 4th. A few of the cells produced hail up to the size of quarters in Knox County and gusty winds that downed some trees and power lines in Tazewell County.