Thunderstorm Wind — Jefferson, Illinois

2015-05-10 · near Mt Vernon, Jefferson, Illinois

Direct deaths

$45K

Property damage

52 EG

Magnitude

Event narrative

Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down, along with a couple of large trees. A large tree limb blew across two mobile homes, killing a 72-year-old man who was in the mobile home closest to the tree. The man died from blunt-force trauma caused by the tree limb, which was about 20 inches in diameter. His mobile home was destroyed. The second mobile home received only minor damage.

Wider weather episode

A squall line over eastern Missouri moved east across southern Illinois, producing locally strong winds. Southwesterly deep-layer wind shear around 30 knots was sufficient to maintain the squall line within a moderately unstable atmosphere. The squall line was associated with an upper-level low over South Dakota. A mid-level jet streak rotated northeast from the southern Plains into the Ozarks and Mid-Mississippi Valley.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.3200, -88.9000)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 569197. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.