Thunderstorm Wind in Adams County, Illinois

Thunderstorm winds produced a swath of tree and structural damage extending from Pleasant Hill northeast through Pittsfield, Griggsville, and beyond. Other municipalities within that line include Martinsburg and Chambersburg. In Pleasant Hill, winds peeled portions of the roof from the local high school, threw the roof of an outbuilding a block away, and caused major tree damage. In Pittsfield, a power pole was snapped off on the 200 block of North Illinois Street. Several trees were downed here. Griggsville incurred more structural damage, with a home sustained roof damage, part of a metal roof torn from an outbuilding, power poles snapped, and a large carport structure collapsed onto a combine to the northeast of town.

The environment during the afternoon of April 17th was primed for the development of severe thunderstorms. One thunderstorm split into two in Missouri. The left split passed through Pike and Brown counties where it consistently caused wind damage along its path.