Tornado Warning Issued for East Central Crawford County, Illinois
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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A confirmed tornado was located over Palestine, moving east at 40 mph. Residents in east central Crawford County are urged to take immediate shelter until 5:15 PM CST.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Tornado Warning
- Affected area
- East Central Illinois
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Lincoln IL
Tornado warnings are short-window notices for the named area. The issuing office is the authority on whether the warning remains active or has been replaced.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in East Central Illinois.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Tornado Warning for east central Crawford County in east central Illinois. This alert is classified as an immediate threat with an observed tornado confirmed by emergency management.
Affected Areas
The warning specifically impacts east central Crawford County. Locations in the path of the storm include Palestine, the Crawford County Airport, and Merom. The National Weather Service indicates the tornadic thunderstorm will remain primarily over rural areas.
What You Should Do
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Mobile homes are at high risk of being damaged or destroyed.
Expected Conditions
At 4:39 PM CST, a confirmed tornado was located over Palestine, or 8 miles east of Robinson, moving east at 40 mph. Hazards include a damaging tornado and ping pong ball size hail (up to 1.50 inches). Expected impacts include dangerous flying debris, damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles, and likely tree damage.
Timeline
The Tornado Warning is effective immediately as of 4:39 PM CST on February 19. The alert is scheduled to expire at 5:15 PM CST.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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