Severe weather rumbles into Campustown

By Wes Anderson

Tornado sirens blared as severe weather rolled through Champaign-Urbana late Tuesday night.

A tornado warning was issued by the National Weather Service at approximately 9:15 p.m. for Champaign County after doppler radar indicated strong rotation in Monticello, Ill. At 9:45, the National Weather Service continued to indicate that a tornado was indicated on radar 5 miles west of Champaign. Frequent lightning lit up the night sky, and sirens in Campustown went off on two occasions.

At 10:30 p.m., however, the warning was allowed to expire as storms weakened. It is speculated that spotters would have been unable to spot any tornadoes due to darkness and the possibility of heavy precipitation obscuring them from sight.

A flash flood warning remained in effect for Champaign County through early Wednesday morning with two to four inches of rainfall forecasted as showers and thunderstorms continued to enter the area.