F1 tornado in Macon County, Illinois
Tornado April 18, 1996 · Macon County, Illinois
The path drawn at its surveyed width of 220 yards (0.12 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.
The wider storm
A tornado touched down in the southeastern portions of Decatur. The initial touchdown was near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Marion St. on the northwestern corner of Mueller Park. The path of the storm then moved a little north of east, with damage centered along Lincoln Street to about 19th Street. At that point the damage path center appeared to move somewhat to the north, crossing 22nd Street between Cantrell and Roosevelt. The path then went across the Nelson Park Golf Course, where it knocked down over 100 trees, then crossed over the western portion of the Hwy 36 bridge before lifting. 88 homes were either damaged or destroyed, as well as, numerous businesses. Nine people sustained minor injuries. Also, 6 large utility poles on the Illinois Hwy 36 bridge were blown over, which trapped several motorists in their cars, though no one was injured. The damage is estimated around $1.5 million.
Began near Decatur (39.8300, -88.9500).
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5543728. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.
Tornadoes near your address
See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.
We couldn’t get your location. Check that location access is allowed for this site, or type an address.