Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Champaign, McLean, and Piatt Counties Until 8:00 PM

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning (NWS Alert Code: SVW) for northeastern Piatt County, southeastern McLean County, and Champaign County in central and east central Illinois. This alert is effective immediately and remains in place until 8:00 PM CDT.

Affected Areas

The warning covers a broad area of central Illinois, specifically targeting:

• Champaign County
• Northeastern Piatt County
• Southeastern McLean County

Impacted cities and locations include Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, Tolono, Fisher, Bondville, Sadorus, Willard Airport, Seymour, Lake Of The Woods, Savoy, Rantoul, Philo, Thomasboro, St. Joseph, Gifford, and Ogden.

Travelers on the following highways should exercise extreme caution:

• Interstate 57 between mile markers 218 and 257
• Interstate 72 between mile markers 170 and 182
• Interstate 74 between mile markers 164 and 197

What You Should Do

For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Residents should also remain alert for the possibility of a tornado, as they can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If a tornado is spotted, go at once to a basement or a small central room. A Tornado Watch remains in effect for the region until 10:00 PM CDT.

Expected Conditions

Radar indicates severe thunderstorms moving northeast at 55 mph. The primary hazard is 60 mph wind gusts. These conditions are expected to cause damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Timeline

• Issued: March 15, 6:58 PM CDT
• Effective: 6:58 PM CDT
• Expires: 8:00 PM CDT

Storms were located near Saybrook and Ivesdale at approximately 6:58 PM and are projected to reach the Champaign-Urbana area around 7:10 PM and Rantoul by 7:15 PM.