Strong Wind — Franklin, Illinois

2025-03-14 · Franklin, Illinois

Event narrative

Increasing winds in the late evening blew a tree down into a house in Sesser.

Wider weather episode

A vigorous storm system over the central Plains, with a sub 980mb surface low over Kansas, induced a very strong pressure gradient across southern Illinois. The result was strong south southeast winds through the afternoon and evening and into the early overnight hours. Gusts 35-50 mph were common throughout southern Illinois for much of the period, but they increased in the evening, with the Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) recording a gust of 58 mph. As evidence of these strong winds, a tree was blown down into a home in Sesser and limbs were snapped near Murphysboro.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1247752. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.