Tornado Warning Issued for Effingham Late Friday Night; Strong Winds Still Expected Saturday

Strong to severe storms visited the Effingham area late Friday night into early Saturday morning.

After an evening with no activity, the storm system arrived in Effingham County just after 11pm. The storms featured rain, strong winds, relentless lightning and reports of hail. The storm sirens were sounded about 11:20pm and a tornado warning was issued until midnight, although the storms continued well after that time.

The strong winds knocked down a tree and power line that blocked the northbound lane of Illinois Route 128 near Beecher City. Effingham city emergency offiicials opened City Hall as a shelter from the storms.

A reminder that even though the strongest storms visited overnight, winds of 50MPH or more are still possible throughout Saturday.