Severe storms threaten Morgan County, winds, hail and flash flooding possible

Jacksonville and South Jacksonville were under severe thunderstorm warnings Wednesday afternoon as a fast-moving line of storms pushed across western and central Illinois, with the most intense threat expected to peak before about 3:45 p.m. CDT. For Morgan County, the main concern was damaging wind gusts above 60 mph, along with large hail, a tornado or two and flash flooding.

The National Weather Service office in Lincoln included Morgan County in its hazardous weather outlook and said strong to severe thunderstorms were expected across central Illinois that evening. The forecast said the storms were moving northeast at around 35 mph, a pace that can leave little time for outdoor workers, farm crews and drivers to react once the sky turns dark and warnings are issued.

National Weather Service alerts named Jacksonville, South Jacksonville and surrounding areas as the warning zone, underscoring how quickly the threat had spread through the county. The weather service said residents should remain alert for warnings and use multiple ways to receive warning information, a reminder that phones, weather radios and local alert systems can matter when storms develop and move fast. For families trying to get home, and for anyone already outside, the combination of wind, hail and flooding made the afternoon commute more than a routine drive.

The same Lincoln outlook said another round of severe thunderstorms was expected Thursday evening, keeping the threat active even after the first line moved through. It also said the heat index would again reach 100 degrees Thursday, adding a layer of public-safety strain for anyone spending time outdoors.

NWS Chicago also warned that thunderstorms could produce damaging wind gusts and that additional storms were expected through the evening hours in northern Illinois. Across the state, the setup kept multiple National Weather Service offices busy and left Morgan County in the path of a broader severe-weather pattern that brought wind, hail and flooding risks all at once.