Dust Storm — Iroquois, Illinois

2025-05-16 · Iroquois, Illinois

Event narrative

There were numerous reports of near zero visibility in western Iroquois County. One quarter mile visibility was reported at the courthouse in Watseka with a measured wind gust of 52 mph. A webcam showed significantly reduced visibility along Interstate 57 near Buckley.

Wider weather episode

An area of thunderstorms moved across east central Illinois during the afternoon of May 16th producing damaging convective wind gusts across southern Ford and southern Iroquois Counties. These high winds created a dust storm that raced north across northeast Illinois during the late afternoon and early evening of May 16th. Visibilities were near zero in many areas with wind gusts of up to 55 to 65 mph. The worst conditions lasted 15 to 30 minutes at any one location and then gradually improved. A large tree was blown down onto a house in Piper City causing significant structural damage. A few thunderstorms also developed across far northern Illinois producing isolated large hail.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1252136. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.