Thunderstorm Wind — Peoria, Illinois

2024-07-15 · near Elmore, Peoria, Illinois

Event narrative

A tree fell onto an RV that was parked on a property off Cedar Bluff Road near the Spoon River south of Elmore. Nearly a week later, on July 23, 2024, a 77-year old man from New York was reported missing after last being seen in his RV. Law enforcement found that his cell phone last used a phone tower near Elmore, and began search operations. The man was found later on July 23 in the brush near the Spoon River, in the vicinity of the damaged RV. He was still breathing but unresponsive, and despite life-saving medical efforts he succumbed to his ailments and was pronounced deceased on July 23.

Wider weather episode

On the evening of July 15, 2024, a derecho brought very strong winds, several tornadoes, and heavy rainfall to a good portion of the Midwest. Thunderstorms initiated over central Iowa during the late afternoon hours then quickly spread east-southeast through southern Wisconsin, the northern half of Illinois, southern Michigan, and the northern/central Indiana. The event produced significant tree damage, some structural damage, and 10 tornadoes within the NWS Lincoln County Warning Area, most of which were rated EF-0 or EF-1. Back building of storms into the morning of July 16, 2024, brought very heavy rainfall and flash flooding near and south of a Galesburg to Sullivan line. The heaviest rain fell over Fulton and Mason counties where 4-8 was reported, necessitating some road closures and producing damage to roadways in Fulton County. One indirect death occurred in Peoria County as part of this thunderstorm event.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (40.9429, -89.9826)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1203152. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.