High Wind — Moultrie, Illinois

2023-03-03 · Moultrie, Illinois

Event narrative

A tree was blown onto a garage and a shed was knocked over in Bethany.

Wider weather episode

As a vigorous upper-level wave tracked eastward out of the southern Rockies, surface low pressure formed over Texas then lifted northeastward into the Ohio River Valley on March 3rd. Analysis from the evening of March 2nd showed a 991mb low over central Texas...with the low rapidly deepening to 976mb as it tracked into southern Indiana by the afternoon of March 3rd. Surface pressures of these magnitudes are rare across the Midwest and are in fact more comparable to a tropical storm or hurricane. To the north of the low track, central Illinois got battered with very strong gradient winds. Northeasterly gusts frequently topped 50 mph...with the highest gusts in excess of 60 mph focused in a corridor from Decatur and Mattoon northeastward to Champaign. The highest gust recorded was 72 mph at the Mattoon Airport. Given the high wind gusts from an unusual direction (northeast), several trees, tree branches, and power lines were downed across the area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1082481. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.