High Wind — Coles, Illinois

2024-09-27 · Coles, Illinois

Event narrative

Strong winds gusting 55-65mph caused minor wind damage across Coles County. Tree limbs were blown onto power lines causing a transformer to blow a fuse 2 miles east-northeast of Mattoon. A tree fell onto power lines 2 miles northwest of Mattoon, a pole to house wire was blown down in Oakland, and phone lines were blown down onto a roadway 1 mile south-southwest of Charleston.

Wider weather episode

The remnants of Hurricane Helene lifted slowly northwestward across Kentucky during the afternoon of September 27th...with a 988mb low analyzed near Louisville, Kentucky by early evening. As the pressure gradient tightened, very strong winds developed across central Illinois. The strongest wind gusts of 55-65mph were concentrated along and southeast of a Champaign to Decatur line, where scattered minor wind damage occurred. A peak wind gust of 66mph was measured at the Coles County Memorial Airport between Mattoon and Charleston.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1218674. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.