A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms rolled through central and north-central Illinois before dawn Saturday, triggering four Severe Thunderstorm Warnings from the National Weather Service in Chicago and threatening 60 mph wind gusts across a five-county corridor.
The warnings covered Bureau, La Salle, Livingston, Marshall, and Putnam counties — a stretch of agricultural land running from the Illinois River Valley south into the middle of the state. With the primary storm line tracking east at 55 mph, the window for residents to take shelter compressed rapidly.
At 5:25 AM CDT, the National Weather Service located a line of severe storms extending from near McNabb southward through Varna to Germantown Hills. Two minutes earlier, at 5:23 AM CDT, a separate severe storm was detected near Lacon and Henry, in Marshall County, moving east at 45 mph. Both systems carried the same primary hazard: 60 mph wind gusts capable of damaging roofs, siding, and trees.
Wenona, in Marshall County, was directly in the path of the advancing storms around 5:40 AM CDT. Other communities in the warning footprint included La Rose, Lake Wildwood, and areas near Marshall County Airport and the Marshall-Putnam county line.
All four warnings were set to expire by 6:15 AM CDT. At least one warning was being allowed to expire before that time as its associated storms pushed out of the flagged zones — a reflection of how quickly the system was translating across the region.
No tornado warnings or hail hazards were cited in the warning descriptions. Wind gusts were the singular primary threat across all four alerts.
The National Weather Service issued consistent safety guidance with each warning: move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building and stay away from windows until the warnings expire.
The speed of the system — 45 to 55 mph forward motion — means the threat zone can shift across county lines within minutes. Residents in counties east of the initial warning area should monitor the National Weather Service for updated statements and any new warnings issued as the line continues its eastward advance through the morning hours.