Lightning — Sangamon, Illinois

2011-04-09 · near Springfield, Sangamon, Illinois

$1.8M

Property damage

Event narrative

Lightning struck the steeple of a church at 16th and South Grand Avenue in Springfield, starting a fire which quickly engulfed the building. The church was no longer being used, but still contained pews, books and an organ. The building and its contents were a total loss.

Wider weather episode

As an upper-level disturbance interacted with a stationary frontal boundary draped across southern Illinois, thunderstorms developed during the pre-dawn hours of April 9th. The storms remained along and south of a Winchester...to Taylorville...to Charleston-Mattoon line. A few of the cells produced hail up to quarter-sized and locally heavy rainfall. One storm produced a lightning strike in Springfield which destroyed a vacant church.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.7866, -89.6333)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 302706. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.