Decatur: 12,000 Without Power After Tornado Warning, Flash Flooding, and Storm Damage Hit Macon County

Tornado Warning and Flash Floods Shut Down Decatur

A tornado warning swept over Decatur on Wednesday as severe storms tore through Central Illinois, leaving more than 12,000 residents without power and forcing drivers to abandon vehicles in flooded underpasses.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of Macon County, including Decatur, Mount Zion, and Harristown, until 6 p.m., according to the Journal-Register.

"Storms are increasing in number and strength and may pose a significant tornado threat into the early evening hours in areas near and south of I-72," the National Weather Service said in a social media post.

A flash flood warning also covered Decatur and surrounding communities until 10 p.m. Residents were told to avoid walking or driving through flood waters.

Thousands Lose Power in Macon County

By 9:22 p.m., PowerOutage.com reported 12,097 outages in Macon County, according to WAND-TV.

The Yahoo News weather report, citing WCIA, tracked the Decatur area outage count climbing throughout the evening. At 6:11 p.m., 7,464 Ameren customers were without power. By 7:32 p.m., that number reached 11,285.

Neighboring counties faced similar disruptions:

• Coles County: 12,733 outages
• Christian County: 6,223 outages
• Douglas County: 2,159 outages
• Moultrie County: 2,222 outages

Ameren Illinois crews worked through the night to restore service across the region.

Trees Down, Cars Stuck in Water

A WAND-TV viewer captured video of downed trees and storm damage in the South Shores area of Decatur.

The National Weather Service reported that power poles were snapped off near U.S. Highway 51 south of Walker Road outside Macon.

A WAND reporter found cars stuck in water at a flooded underpass near the Decatur and Franklin border. First responders were called to multiple instances of flash flooding throughout the area.

Hand of Fate Brewing Company in Petersburg posted on Facebook that it closed Wednesday due to severe storm damage to its building. A WAND reporter at the scene documented part of the brewery's shattered sign blocking off the sidewalk in front of the business. The Ameren facility in Petersburg also had its roof ripped off.

Two Tornadoes Confirmed Nearby

The National Weather Service in Lincoln confirmed two tornadoes touched down in central Illinois on June 17, according to the Journal-Register.

One tornado was confirmed near Salisbury, an unincorporated community in Sangamon County about 12 miles northwest of Springfield. Law enforcement confirmed the tornado at 4:31 p.m. Emergency sirens were activated around that time.

A second tornado was confirmed near Jeisyville, a village in Christian County 27 miles southeast of Springfield. Emergency management officials confirmed that tornado at 6:59 p.m.

No classifications had been assigned to either tornado as of Wednesday night.

Closer to Decatur, Charleston was hit by a significant tornado. A tree fell on a house in Charleston and broke through the roof, according to WCIA. By 7:32 p.m., 7,907 Ameren customers in Charleston were without power.

Storm Shelters Opened Across the Region

WCIA reported that storm shelters opened across Central Illinois ahead of the severe weather. Building closures were also reported as the tornado watch remained in effect until 10 p.m.

The tornado watch for Sangamon County expired by 9:38 p.m., according to the Journal-Register. A flash flood watch remained in effect until 10 p.m.

The National Weather Service said the severe weather event had ended for the region by 10 p.m., according to the Journal Courier.

What Comes Next

The National Weather Service in Lincoln said survey teams would be sent out to assess damage from the confirmed tornadoes. The agency noted it may take time to get confirmed amounts of damage and impacts.

Residents without power were directed to Ameren's online outage map for restoration updates.