At 8:56 a.m. this morning, an Illini-Alert sent out information that a tornado warning was issued.

The warning was in effect until 9:15 a.m. Classes congregated in basements while waiting for the all clear. 

At 9:20 a.m., an Illini-Alert lifted the warning, announcing it was safe to resume class activities. 

According to the National Weather Service in Lincoln, Ill., the storm has weakened. They are still monitoring additional storms southwest of the Champaign-Urbana area.

At 9:43 a.m., a governmental Emergency Alert sent a second notification, issuing another tornado warning lasting until 10:15 a.m.

The NWS said a storm in Savoy was “intensifying quickly and is capable of producing a tornado.” 

Both the Emergency Alert and the NWS recommend taking shelter immediately. Students are in the basement again in hopes of staying safe during the storm. 

“I had no idea that the tornado sirens were even going off when I was on my way to chemistry class,” said Kadmos Hammoud, freshman in Engineering. “I’m kind of just hoping my calculus class will be canceled and that everyone is okay.”

Update: The tornado warning was downgraded to a tornado watch for parts of Illinois and Indiana until 3 p.m. CST as the storm moved northeast of Champaign-Urbana.

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