Storms Bring Needed Rain But Power Outages And Damage

A line of heavy rain, gusty winds and lightning provided a rare storm scene in the Illinois Valley.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was first issued for Bureau and Putnam Counties late this morning.  Around two o’clock, a cold front with storms moved into Bureau County.  Power was knocked out in several parts of Princeton.

The storms moved into the La Salle-Peru area around 2:30, causing Oglesby Fire to sound a tornado siren when someone thought they saw a funnel cloud near Burger King.  Central States Baseball games were also halted in Oglesby when lightning hit the concession stand, damaging an attached bathroom.  No one was hurt.

The storms also knocked AM 1220 WLPO and 99.3 WAJK off the air for several minutes due to a power outage.