Live blog: Bloomington and Normal issue 2nd disaster declarations as focus shifts to flooding
2,100+ Ameren customers still without power in McLean County
There are still more than 2,100 Ameren Illinois customers without power in McLean County. That’s down from a peak of more than 22,000 following Thursday’s severe storms.
Earlier today, Ameren told the media that "crews remain on track to meet the posted estimated safe restoration time of 6 p.m. today ... for customer outages in the Bloomington-Normal area."
However, Ameren told some customers in Bloomington-Normal that it could as late as 7 p.m. Sunday before power is back on.
Rain and flooding prompt 2nd emergency declarations in Bloomington, Normal
The mayors of Bloomington and Normal issued a second emergency declaration today following heavy rainfall and flooding across the community.
Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady is also extending the emergency declaration issued Thursday following widespread severe storm damage. The Bloomington City Council will consider extending both emergency declarations for 30 days at its meeting Monday night.
Bloomington city officials say their crews responded to about 80 incidents after the latest rainfall overnight Friday, while the Emergency Communications Center handled 112 calls, most weather-related.
“Our community has been through a lot in just a few days,” Bloomington City Manager Jeff Jurgens said in a statement. “Our crews and emergency responders have been working tirelessly, and I am proud of their efforts. They continue to deal with hundreds of downed and damaged trees and widespread power outages and extended their efforts today to also addressing flooding issues. Expanding the emergency declaration reflects the continuing impact of these storms and starts the pathway for potential relief from the federal government and/or low interest loans if certain thresholds are met.”
Bloomington: Bulk waste pickup fee can be waived
Normally, the City of Bloomington charges $30 to pick up bulk waste curbside beyond the first free bucket.
Because of the storm, the city will waive the $30 fee for additional buckets when the storm damage is documented through the myBloomington online portal or by downloading the myBloomington mobile app.
Bulk collection may take longer than usual. Residents who can haul materials themselves are encouraged to use the Citizen Convenience Center, which has extended hours:
— Sunday: 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
— Monday: 7 a.m.–3 p.m. (The center is normally closed on Mondays.)
Normal: Trash, recycling, bulky item and landscape waste pickup
The Town of Normal says it intends to continue to pick up trash and recycling on its regular schedule.
Normal has suspended bulky item and landscape waste pickup through next week to allow staff to focus on brush/tree collection.
Constitution Trail closes due to flooding and storm damage
Constitution Trail in Bloomington-Normal is closed until further notice.
Friends of Constitution Trail said in a social media post on Saturday that the trail remains closed due to flooding and tree damage. No estimate was given for when the trail may reopen.
Parts of the Twin Cities received between 6-8 inches of rain over a 48-hour period.
Parts of Bloomington saw 8+ inches of rain in 48 hours
Parts of Bloomington saw over 8 inches of rain in the past 48 hours, according to preliminary rainfall estimates from the National Weather Service.
For context, Bloomington-Normal experienced a drought from August 2025 to January 2026 with only 7.1 inches of precipitation. That was a record low for a six-month period.
Here are some local observations from the past 48 hours:
- Bloomington - 8.46 inches
- Heyworth - 8.27 inches
- Ellsworth - 8.18 inches
- LeRoy - 6.85 inches
- Central Illinois Regional Airport, Bloomington - 6.6 inches
- Normal - 5.96 inches
Flash flood warning in effect until 1:30 p.m. today
There is a flash flood warning in effect for Bloomington-Normal and southern McLean County until 1:30 p.m. today.
There are reports of substantial flash flooding, with several road closures and stalled vehicles. Of particular concern, significant swelling of the Little Kickapoo Creek south of Bloomington toward Heyworth has flooded well outside its banks, the National Weather Service reported.
Between 4 and 7 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is already occurring.
Sugar Creek near Bloomington was recorded at 11.72 feet as of 10:15 a.m. today, in the "minor flooding" stage. (It's normally at 0-1 feet.) The record for Sugar Creek is 14 feet.
Little Kickapoo Creek near Heyworth was recorded at 13.68 feet, approaching the record of 14.7 feet, according to the weather service.
Here's a look at Kickapoo Creek at the Grove subdivision this morning. Video courtesy of Sue B.:
Here's some flooding behind the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center on Bloomington's east side:
4,500 Ameren customers still without power in McLean County
Ameren Illinois says many of the 4,500 customers still without power in McLean County will see it restored by 6 p.m. Saturday.
In an email to the media this morning, Ameren shared the 6 p.m. Saturday "estimated safe restoration time" for customer outages in the Bloomington-Normal area. However, Ameren has told some customers in Bloomington-Normal that it could as late as 7 p.m. Sunday before power is back on.
Ameren says it's restored more than 50,000 outages since noon Thursday, with "with more than 800 [resources] on the ground in the Bloomington-Normal area."
Ameren says "the primary concern today is the substantial amount of rainfall the region has experienced. Over five inches of rain was reported in some communities."
Corn Belt Energy is almost fully restored. Only 77 customers in McLean County remain without power for the co-op.
ISU move-in complicated by storm and its rippling effects
An Illinois State University sophomore said she didn't get the keys to her dorm until today, after her original move-in plans were postponed because of Thursday's storms.
Political Science major Becca Hamry said she had just pulled into town when the storm hit.
"Right when we got onto campus, the madness, the storm really started so we parked in the Bone Center and waited," she said. "It was like we were on a boat, it was rocking; the wind was so crazy."
"I was a little scared, I thought there was a tornado going on," she continued.
Hambry said that is also when her roommate told her the dorm lost power. She said she waited for a while to use the only working elevator in the Hewitt and Manchester dorms.
In her previous move-in experience, Hambry said she received her room key and had her student ID activated to work in the buildings before she actually moved into the dorm. This time, she was not able to check and receive her key until Friday.
Hambry could not get into the building or her dorm without someone letting her in. Hambry said luckily for her, many of the doors were left open because of the heavy move-in traffic. Once that move-in traffic stopped for the day though, the doors were locked again.
"I just didn't leave the dorm," she said.
It took a while to complete the check-in process, as staff had to simultaneously help those who arrived yesterday and those still arriving today. Still, Hambry said it wasn't as chaotic around campus as she expected.
State Farm and County Financial expecting more than the 600 claims collected from B-N policy holders
State Farm and Country Financial have received nearly 600 insurance claims already from Thursday’s storms, mostly from policy holders in Bloomington-Normal.
Jesse Kohlbecker, vice president of claims and client services at Country Financial, said based on driving around town, he's a little surprised there have not been more so far.
“We're expecting heavier claim reporting over the weekend and into Monday as people have a chance to evaluate their homes and properties over the weekend,” said Kohlbecker.
“We expect those numbers to rise as power is restored,” said State Farm spokesperson Gina Morss Fischer.
State Farm has had several hundred claims in Bloomington-Normal. Country had 262 claims as of noon Friday, 210 in Bloomington-Normal. Ninety percent of Country’s claims are property and 86% are attributed to straight line winds.
“This is damage to siding, roofs, trees that have fallen on covered structures as well. Our auto claims are much smaller in size. They're mainly from flying objects hitting the vehicle due to the wind,” said Kohlbecker.
Service
State Farm and Country are ramping up service for policy holders who have damage. State Farm has opened a customer care center in parking lot J of corporate headquarters at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Veterans Parkway.
“We want to offer folks the opportunity to meet with claims team members in person,” said Morss Fischer. “Our primary focus in this moment is how can we help our customers recover quickly.”
Country has yet to decide whether to pull adjusters from other states to Bloomington-Normal.
“It's important that our clients report the claims as quickly as possible. They can do that on the Country Mobile app on countryfinancial.com or through 866 Country, our toll-free number,” said Kohlbecker.
Trends
It has been a significant spring storm season for both companies, particularly in Illinois.
“We have seen thousands of claims filed across multiple states in the Midwest this week alone….Northern Illinois had some really bad storms the last couple of weeks of July and then into August. They've already seen more than 12,000 claims filed from that storm, and then Mother Nature piled on a little bit more this week,” said Morss Fischer.
Kohlbecker said this is the second year in a row in which more storm activity has happened in the Midwest but it’s too early to say whether some scientists’ predictions that climate change will push storm concentrations eastward from Kansas and Nebraska to Iowa and Illinois are coming true.
“It certainly appears as though Mother Nature kind of has her eye on the state,” said Kohlbecker.
Morss Fisher said State Farm has seen a higher number of wind and hail claims in Illinois this year compared to recent years.
“[It’s] a bit discouraging too, because Illinois is very typically in the top five for severe convective weather claims, and when we see an increase like this in this state, you know, we pay a lot of attention to that,” said Morss Fischer.
State Farm has also greenlighted Ameren’s use of its Corporate South parking lot for Ameren to stage vehicles as crews deal with power outages and line repairs.
County EMA explains why emergency sirens stayed quiet
McLean County Emergency Management Agency [EMA] Director Cathy Beck said Thursday’s storms did not meet the threshold to trigger outdoor emergency warning sirens in Bloomington-Normal.
“It was close,” Beck said.
Beck said the county may activate the sirens without a tornado warning, but it would only be for storms which include sustained winds of 70 miles per hour or greater.
The sirens would also be deployed if the National Weather Service issues a tornado warning, a tornado is indicated by radar or confirmed by a trained spotter. McLean County was under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning at the time.
Thursday’s microburst had confirmed wind gusts of 67 miles per hour, while the National Weather Service said storm damage suggests winds may have been stronger than that in other areas.
Beck said Bloomington-Normal experienced sustained winds of over 60 miles per hour, but the microbursts -- which are downdrafts embedded inside a thunderstorm -- become difficult to see.
“They are rain-wrapped. The microbursts don’t show up on radar like a tornado. So if you are not aware that they are coming, it’s really hard to warn for them,” Beck said, adding that the storm had showed no characteristics of a tornado or microburst as it approached Bloomington-Normal.
Beck added that the sirens are only intended to be heard by people who are outdoors.
ISU president cites 'spirit of resiliency' as cleanup continues
Illinois State University Aondover Tarhule praised his employees who are working to support the campus community after Thursday's damaging storm.
In a note to campus, Tarhule said ISU's Damage Assessment Teams worked late into the night to assess campus facilities and operations. He also acknowledged ISU employees who may have suffered damage at their own homes but are still helping the campus recover.
"I have visited several impacted sites and have been impressed and genuinely moved by the spirit of resiliency that I saw in students, staff, and families," Tarhule wrote.
He asked people to avoid damaged areas for your safety and to allow space for crews to remove debris.
Colonial Meadows gets water delivery during power outage
The McLean County Emergency Management Agency [EMA] is working to connect residents affected by Thursday’s severe storms to the resources they need.
EMA director Cathy Beck said the agency has worked with Midwest Food Bank to deliver three pallets of bottled water to Colonial Meadows on Bloomington’s east side while the subdivision remains without power.
The subdivision relies on electricity to pump its water from a well.
EMA is also connecting people in need of emergency shelter, food and power to the Red Cross’ temporary shelter at First Christian Church at 401 W. Jefferson St. in Bloomington.
“People that have medical devices that require electricity, they are their best resource. Otherwise, we recommend people work with their friends and neighbors and such to help each other out and make sure each other is ok,” Beck said.
Beck said EMA is also continuing its storm damage assessments. Beck said EMA has encountered some damage to homes, but mostly fallen trees that have closed roadways and caused other damage.
Microburst made for a dicey drive home for B-N workers
Connor Ramsey witnessed the storms that hit McLean County on Thursday while he was at work at State Farm.
The noise was intense from the rain.
“I’m not sure if I could necessarily hear the wind, per se, but there was definitely a lot of rain spattering the windows and kind of getting the sense that … that rain is being blown by a wind,” said Ramsey.
Once it was done, though, he had to go home.
“Just to make sure that my basement was dry, and I was greeted with a large branch right next to my car in the parking lot,” he said.
Just like many in the Twin Cities, he navigated home around trees and excess water. Getting home was difficult with major streets, like Washington Street, being shut down.
“So, it was definitely a matter of just kind of careening through and zig zagging through streets to make sure that I could find a street that was open,” Ramsey said. “I think I had to divert my path at least two or three times and that was within what is typically like a five-minute drive.”
Every turn was something, he said. If a tree wasn’t blocking the road, it was flooded or something else entirely.
Luckily, Ramsey’s home was largely untouched.
“I had one big [tree] limb fall on my fence, but that was it,” he said.
Ramsey wasn't alone. Here's a video sent to WGLT by Jane C., showing a flooded Delaine Drive, near CEFCU Arena in Normal, on Thursday afternoon:
Homeowners assess damage after microburst drops trees
Diana and Robert Chalmers’ home on Franklin Avenue in Normal was one of many with sustained damage from Thursday's intense thunderstorms.
Diana said she did not expect the weather but was met with it as she was finishing getting her groceries at the Jewel Osco on South Cottage Avenue.
"And I said, ‘Did you guys do something to the windows, because you can’t see outside,’” she asked the cashier, who told her it was the weather.
“And just as I was checking out, I only had a few items, all the checkouts stopped,” Diana said.
As she returned home, it was a journey. Trees blocking streets and water flooding in made it difficult to return home, but Diana said the height of her van helped her cross some water.
To alleviate the water, she tried to help unclog nearby storm drains.
“Another gentleman saw me and he was doing the same; we couldn’t find them,” she said. “Even though I’ve seen those drains a ba-gillion times when I go for a walk, we still couldn’t find them to unblock them.”
About 4 hours later the water receded, she said.
Husband Robert was at home when the weather started.
“Well, the wind was really whipping up quite a bit, I couldn’t see out my windows that well…” he said. “The wind was just cranking; I couldn’t believe how loud the wind was going.”
Robert also heard a thud; a tree snapping and was carried by the wind from across the street onto the roof of their home. He said it was at least 20 feet long.
Corn Belt outages down to a few hundred
Corn Belt Energy said it has made substantial progress toward restoring full service. There are about 600 customers of the electric co-op that remain out of service, down from a peak of 17,000 Thursday.
“We have all of our crews down from our northern region, and we have asked a sister cooperative [Prairie Power in Springfield] to come in and help us,” said Corn Belt spokesperson Megan Marlowe.
Two main clusters of customer outages are the Harvest Point subdivision at Towanda Barnes Road and Route 9 and Colonial Meadows adjoining airport property on the east side of Bloomington.
“I believe there were about 20 poles that were down on Towanda Barnes Road, and I think they only have just a few left to set back up. The efforts have been going very, very well,” said Marlowe.
Corn Belt does not yet have an estimate of how long it will take to restore all service. Weather remains an obstacle that interrupts work.
“I would like to stress the importance of staying away from work zones,” said Marlowe. “We're seeing a lot of people who are driving around cones and in areas that they should not be in. We would like them to stay away from work zones because they can get hurt, and you could give our workers some space.”
Some OSF facilities in Bloomington closed today due to power outages
OSF HealthCare said midday today that OSF Center for Health, including OSF Cancer Center and OSF Cardiovascular Institute at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, and OSF Medical Group – Family Medicine at 210 St. Joseph Drive are closed due to power outages. All affected patient appointments will be rescheduled.
“Our teams are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore services and operations,” said OSF spokesperson Patti Penn. “We appreciate the community’s patience and support as teams work to safely restore normal operations.”
PromptCare and OnCall Urgent Care locations are open.
Ameren has hundreds of people working to get power restored in B-N
Ameren Illinois said it is making good progress on restoring service to Bloomington-Normal customers following the severe storms Thursday afternoon.
“We have about 650 people involved in the restoration effort, trying to get power restored to our customers just as safely and as quickly as we can,” said Jason Klein, vice president for electric operations and technical services for Ameren Illinois. “They are coming from all over Illinois, and as far away as Tennessee, Georgia, and Missouri.”
Klein noted Commonwealth Edison is also extensively tapping the regional roster of contractors that perform restoration work, because of storms in the Chicago area earlier this week.
Ameren had about 15,000 households without power in the Bloomington-Normal area as of midday and another 2,500 in the rest of its service area. That’s down from a peak of more than 22,000 following Thursday’s severe storms.
Klein said it is too early to estimate when complete service will be restored.
“We will notify our customers likely later on this afternoon or this evening with specifics when we know them,” said Klein.
Ameren has faced no supply chain issues. Its reserve of storm material stocked in its Decatur warehouse is adequate, said Klein. The company also has three mobile storm trailers in Bloomington-Normal to support the additional contractors.
Much work remains.
“I think there are 27 transmission structures that are broken on the ground. We have roughly six sub-transmission poles, and as of last count, we have about 30 distribution poles. We expect that number to go up as we continue assessing damage,” said Klein. “There's a lot of work in front of us, but we have an army of people there on the ground.”
He said the instances of multiple storms over multiple days prolongs outages and may require second or third visits to an area.
“We truly appreciate our customers' patience as we work through the restoration. We know it's uncomfortable for them to be without power, and we're doing our best,” said Klein.
State Farm to set up catastrophe response site in Bloomington today
A State Farm spokesperson said today that the company is setting up a catastrophe response site for customers to meet with claim reps in person and to deploy adjusters to their properties quickly.
The catastrophe site should be set up later this afternoon in parking lot J of the headquarters property in Bloomington.
State Farm has also given Ameren permission to set up a staging area in State Farm Corporate South parking lots as the utility works to restore power to hundreds of area properties.
National Weather Service says damage suggests winds may have topped 67 miles per hour in Bloomington-Normal
The National Weather Service in Lincoln says recorded wind gusts reached 67 miles per hour in Bloomington during Thursday’s severe storms, but it’s possible winds may have been stronger than that.
“We do think there could be higher wind reports embedded in that area that we didn’t have any actual measurements from just based on some of the damage coming out of it,” said Chris Geelhart, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.
The top wind gusts were reported at Central Illinois Regional Airport during Thursday’s mid-afternoon storm that dropped between 4 to 6 inches of rain across a storm system that moved from Galesburg, intensified as it approached Bloomington-Normal, and persisted as it moved toward Danville and Charleston in Eastern Illinois.
There was no tornado in this storm. Geelhart described the weather event as a microburst, which the weather service says is a localized column of sinking air or downdraft embedded in a thunderstorm.
“Think of pouring a bunch of water out at one time and it would hit the ground and fan out. Basically the winds were being pushed down very quickly and once they hit the ground it fans out,” he explained.
The strength of the storm was greater than expected. Geelhart said forecasters figured dense fog and low clouds earlier in the day would have suppressed more intense storms, yet it picked up energy as it moved across Iowa into Illinois.
There have been several severe weather events this spring in Mclean County that ended up being much stronger than expected, including the April storm system which brought seven tornadoes.
Geelhart said there’s no connection between those incidents or concerns that cuts to the National Weather Service has made more less reliable forecasts.
“The lack of weather balloons well further to the northwest could make their job a little more complicated but once you start getting into the shorter-scale situation over like the next few hours for thunderstorms, we have a lot of other tools at our disposal that we use to help predict these things,” Geelhart said. “It’s a concern but in terms of the actual severe weather from yesterday, I don’t think it played a part in it.”
Geelhart said the threat of more storms and flooding may continue through the weekend -- and cooler, drier weather is expected early next week.
Move-in resumes at Illinois State University
Move-in resumed this morning at Illinois State University after a rainy week topped off by a dangerous storm on Thursday.
Some windows were broken at the Watterson Towers residence hall on Thursday, when ISU suspended move-in due to the storm. Those windows were seen boarded up this morning as families and their students returned to campus.
ARC senior center offers free day pass for 55+ people who lost power
Anyone 55+ in McLean County who is without power may receive a free day pass to spend the day at Normal Township's Activity and Recreation Center [ARC] — even if you're not a member. (You will need to sign a liability waiver and provide your contact information.)
The ARC will have limited quantities of food available throughout the day. You are welcome to bring your devices and charge them. The ARC also has one shower available in each of its locker rooms.
The ARC will stay open until 5 p.m. Saturday. It usually closes at 1 p.m.
Town of Normal declares local disaster following severe storm
The Town of Normal declared a local disaster emergency following the severe storm that blew through the community on Thursday.
The emergency declaration "activates the appropriate response and recovery aspects of all applicable local and inter-jurisdictional disaster emergency plans and authorizes the furnishing of aid and assistance as necessary," the town said this morning.
“Normal residents and businesses sustained significant damage from downed trees, widespread power outages and structural damage to numerous properties,” Normal Mayor Chris Koos said in a statement. “We appreciate crews working to restore power in our community. Town crews have worked tirelessly to clear roadways. We thank everyone for their patience throughout the cleanup.”
Crews continue cleanup efforts of trees and branches blocking roadways. The Town cautions residents and business owners to use extreme caution during cleanup and recovery efforts, assuming any downed power line could be live.
The Town is picking up trash and recycling as scheduled. Landscape waste and bulky item pickup has been suspended to allow crews to focus on brush collection.
Red Cross sets up shelter at Bloomington church
Following recent severe weather, the American Red Cross has opened a shelter to serve residents in need:
First Christian Church — 401 W. Jefferson St. in Bloomington
Anyone impacted by the severe weather is welcome to come to the shelter for:
- A safe place to stay
- Meals and snacks
- Charging stations
- Access to information, Red Cross assistance and community resources
If you or someone you know needs assistance following a local disaster or home fire, please call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
How to report damage at your home or business
If you sustained damage to your home or business due to the storms, the McLean County Emergency Management Agency is asking you to report that using an online form.
Agricultural damage, crops or livestock, should report your damage to the local FSA office.
Flash flood warning in effect until 6:45 a.m. for McLean County
Be very careful if you're venturing out onto the roads this morning. There's a flash flood warning in effect for McLean County until 6:45 a.m.
At around 4:30 a.m., doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the area. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in places like Bloomington-Normal, LeRoy, Heyworth, Hudson, Downs and Carlock, according to the National Weather Service.
Stay away from flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Be especially cautious when it's dark and it is harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.
Additional thunderstorms are expected this morning, and again tonight.
WGLT is off the air due to overnight storms
WGLT's broadcast and streams are currently off the air due to another round of storms overnight that knocked out power and internet connectivity at our studios.
Thanks for your patience as we work to get things fixed.
ISU move-in to resume Friday; Ewing Manor takes a hard hit
The Illinois State University campus sustained damage in today's storms. One video shared with WGLT appears to show a window or glass being blown out at the Watterson Towers residence hall.
This is move-in week for ISU students and their families. Move-in was suspended Thursday due to the storm. But it will resume at 8 a.m. Friday, ISU said on social media.
"If your move-in appointment was scheduled for today, Thursday, August 13, you may come to campus tomorrow beginning at 8 a.m. You do not need to schedule a new appointment," ISU's housing team said on Facebook.
An ISU spokesperson said they were able to get damaged windows boarded up at Watterson later Thursday afternoon.
@wgltnews This video shared with WGLT appears to show some glass or window damage at Watterson Towers at @illinoisstateu on Thursday afternoon as a fast-moving storm blew through #BloNo. Get the latest storm updates on our Live Blog at WGLT.org. (Credit: Noah W.) #ilstu ♬ original sound - WGLT - Bloomington-Normal NPR
Meanwhile, damage was also reported at ISU's Ewing Cultural Center, where the Illinois Shakespeare Festival takes place each summer.
"Like so many of our neighbors across Bloomington-Normal, the grounds at Ewing Manor took a hard-hit during today's storm. We are heartbroken to lose a few of our beautiful, historic trees. Our team is officially in cleanup mode, clearing branches, assessing the damage, and beginning to put everything back in order," Ewing's staff wrote on Facebook.
Over 24,000 still without power as of 9:30 p.m.
Over 24,000 customers in McLean County were still without power as of 9:30 p.m. following a fast-moving storm that surprised many this afternoon.
Ameren Illinois is reporting 20,693 customers without power — about a third of its customers in McLean County. Corn Belt Energy has another 4,153 customers without service, about 17% of its customers.
County Board member praises community response following storms
Along with hearing about official response to the afternoon’s storms, County Board members meeting Thursday night praised what they saw as people started to clean up.
District 10 board Member Corey Beirne’s drive to the board meeting reinforced both the devastation and the sense of community that follows. In his neighborhood in east Bloomington, “you could hear a lot of chainsaws out,” as neighbors helped each other address the “significant damage” in the area.
Beirne said his 15-minute commute to the meeting took 40 today as he navigated closed roads and tree limbs. But even in that, he was encouraged.
“I saw a lot of neighbors and regular citizens directing traffic, helping to move things. It was really cool to see so many folks out there just stepping up and helping out.”
While it was a disaster, from a human perspective, “It was a good day for our community,” he said.
Bloomington issues emergency declaration for storm cleanup
Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady signed an emergency declaration on Thursday following what the city described as widespread damage from the severe storms.
The declaration, which remains in effect for 48 hours, authorizes “the furnishing of aid and assistance as necessary.”
City officials say public works, water and forestry crews have been responded to more than 400 calls for service, the highest call volume the city has reported in recent history. Many of the calls were for downed and damaged trees and power lines.
The declaration also noted widespread power outages and structural damage to multiple properties.
A city spokesperson said crews will continue to work throughout the evening to clear storm damage.
“The priority of city crews will be clearing and opening all roads,” the city said in a statement.
The city recommends anyone who encounters downed trees to call the city’s non-emergency line at 309-820-8888.
Carle BroMenn faces operating room disruptions due to storms
Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal is experiencing a disruption to its operating room, cardiac catheterization laboratory and imaging services due to the storms, according to Carle spokesperson Lisa Slater.
“All hospitals in the Greater Peoria region are minimally impacted and there has been no delay in patient care,” Slater said, adding the hospital’s emergency room and other operations have been unaffected. “Patients who feel they are experiencing an emergency should still seek emergency care.
Carle Health has rescheduled outpatient appointments in the Bloomington-Normal area.
Carle clinic in East Peoria was also impacted by a power outage. Patient appointments are being rescheduled.
Flood watch in effect as more rain expected Thursday night
Central Illinois may get more rain this evening, with a potential for flooding after a major thunderstorm rolled through Bloomington-Normal Thursday afternoon.
The National Weather Service [NWS] issued a flood watch along the Interstate 74 corridor, including McLean, Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford Counties.
The weather service said rainfall of 2-3 inches has occurred since Wednesday morning. That includes the more than 1.5 inches which fell in a one hour stretch Thursday afternoon.
Thunderstorms developing in northern Illinois are expected to sink south overnight, bringing another 1-2 inches of rain.
"With the ground already saturated, heavy rain will run off quicker, causing areas of flooding," the NWS said.
McLean County activates emergency operations center in response to storms
First responders and government officials gathered at the McLean County Emergency Management Agency [EMA] offices on Thursday as the county activated its Emergency Operations Center shortly after 2 p.m. in response to storms that tore through the area.
County EMA director Cathy Beck said her office has started to conduct damage assessments. It appears Bloomington sustained the most damage, though residential areas in the Twin Cities did not see nearly as much damage as they did during the April storms which included seven tornadoes.
“It’s the big buildings that were affected this time, which is unusual,” Beck said, referring to damage reported at State Farm headquarters, OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and the McLean County Health Department.
Beck said she is aware of one person who was hospitalized after a tree fell on their car. Their injuries were not considered critical.
Beck said there were no confirmed tornadoes, but rather heavy rains and wind gusts — which the National Weather Service said topped 60 mph — that caused flash flooding, along with downed trees and power lines.
“The rain rate with those microbursts were way too much for the system to handle for the streets,” she said.
Beck noted many roads in Bloomington-Normal remain closed because of storm damage. She urged everyone to avoid areas where downed power lines are present.
Beck said the county will soon distribute a QR code where residents can submit damage reports. They can also report damage at ema@mcleancountyil.gov.
Uptown Normal still without power
Several street closures remain in effect throughout Uptown Normal as crews work to clear brush and other debris following Thursday's powerful storm.
Town of Normal spokesperson Cathy Oloffson confirmed Uptown Normal remains without power as of 5 p.m. Thursday, including Uptown Station, which is running on generator power.
Train travel has not been affected by the outage, Oloffson said.
Public works crews will continue working until dark. Oloffson said some debris entangled in power lines cannot be cleared until utility companies address the lines, making it safe to work.
Garbage and waste collection is scheduled as usual Friday. The town has suspended landscape and bulk waste collection pick up to focus on brush collection. Residents can bring brush to the curb for collection.
MCHD closed until further notice
The McLean County Health Department [MCHD] building in Downtown Bloomington remains closed until further notice after storms damaged some of the building's interior.
“Water was getting into an electrical closet,” MCHD spokesperson Marianne Manko said, noting it set off fire alarms and prompted an evacuation.
Manko said the building was temporary closed at 2:30 p.m.
“We do have crews from the county who are there working on the electrical and the building damage and assessing everything and we will not be allowed to resume going back into business until everything is safe in the building,” Manko said.
Manko said the building is working off backup generators and that its vaccines and refrigerated specimens remain safe.
Manko said the department will not be able to administer vaccines until the building reopens.
Severe weather impacts NPR feed for WGLT's broadcast
WGLT's broadcast is impaired this afternoon following the storm. Due to power outages on the Illinois State University campus, NPR programming is now being delivered to WGLT over the internet, leading to a slight delay that may be audible for listeners. Thanks for your patience as we troubleshoot the issue.
Campus damage disrupts move-in at ISU
Storm damage following Thursday's powerful thunderstorm did not spare Illinois State University, where fall move-in is underway.
In a campus-wide alert, the university said there are widespread power outages on campus with streets surrounding ISU closed to traffic.
Families who have move-in appointments Thursday have been contacted through students' Illinois State and personal email addresses.
For those who have already moved in, residence halls are open and operating on emergency power. Non-essential staff have been sent home.
Watterson Dining Commons is open for on-campus students, as is Student Health Services for anyone who may have sustained injuries. The Marketplace at Linkins and the Bone Student Center are closed.
The university noted a cell phone tower overload is contributing to disruptions sending and receiving phone calls.
Connect Transit suspends service 'until further notice'
Nearly all public transit service has been halted in Bloomington-Normal.
Connect Transit announced it has suspended all fixed route, Flex and GO service until further notice due to downed power lines and trees, various road closures and flooding.
In a social media post, Connect Transit said customers using Connect Mobility should expect long delays and cancel all unnecessary trips.
Storm aftermath includes flooding, property damage, downed trees and power outages
A powerful, fast-moving thunderstorm that walloped Bloomington-Normal led to widespread damage and power outages across the Twin Cities. Here are some photos by community members and the WGLT newsroom.
/ Cathy Sutliff
Thursday's heavy rains and high winds were concentrated in Bloomington-Normal, weather agency says
McLean County Emergency Management Agency Director Cathy Beck said Bloomington-Normal was hit hardest by the storms that tore through the county on Thursday afternoon.
The National Weather Service [NWS] reported 1.64 inches of rain fell in the Twin Cities in one hour, most of it in a 30 minute period.
Beck said damage includes trees and utility poles down through the county. NWS noted concentrated damage along Veterans Parkway, with windspeeds as high as 61 mph reported.
Beck noted the McLean County Health Department building in Downtown Bloomington experienced smoke damage after a fire broke out when water got into an electrical closet. The building was briefly evacuated before all employees were allowed to return.
Beck asked anyone who has structural damage from the storms to email ema@mcleancountyil.gov.
Power outages
Ameren Illinois reports about 22,500 customers without power in McLean County as of 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Corn Belt Energy reports nearly 12,000 customers without power.
OSF St. Joseph closed to trauma, diverting ambulances elsewhere
Severe thunderstorms moved through Bloomington-Normal in early afternoon creating significant disruptions to power and travel.
OSF St. Joseph Medical Center confirmed it has roof damage and water has penetrated the hospital from the roof in at least one area.
St. Joe said its patients are safe. The emergency department has declared a bypass and is closed to ambulances for now.
Outpatient procedures have been canceled on the main OSF campus and will be rescheduled.
The medical center has paused visitor access out of safety concerns.
They continue damage assessments.
State Farm corporate headquarters closes following storm damage
A powerful storm causing damage across Bloomington-Normal includes State Farm's corporate headquarters.
The company and the McLean County Emergency Management Agency confirmed damage to at least one building. A State Farm spokesperson said "all employees are safe and we decided to send employees home for the day out of an abundance of caution."
The area around State Farm incurred damage, including the nearby Arbors at Eastland apartment complex and OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, which reported roof damage following the storm.
Illinois State University closes campus due to power outage
Illinois State University has issued an emergency alert closing campus Thursday afternoon.
The university is experiencing a power outage and storm damage, with downed trees and flooded intersections following a powerful storm which passed through the campus.
All non-weather essential employees should leave campus, the alert said, advising employees to use caution when driving in the area.
Flood advisory in effect for McLean County
There is a flood advisory in effect for McLean County until 4:45 p.m.
Many down trees in Normal
The Town of Normal says it is aware many trees are down throughout the community. The town is urging people to drive with caution.
Town trucks are staged and ready to get to work once the storm clears.
ISU hit with street flooding and power outages after storm
Illinois State University has sent out an emergency alert noting a lot of flooding, lines down, and power outages. The university urged people not to drive near campus and to be aware of downed lines.
Roof, water damage reported at OSF hospital in Bloomington
OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington confirms it has roof damage and water has penetrated from the roof in at least one area.