Sangamon Co. Rescue Squad

A Tornado Watch is in effect until 9 PM tonight. Look for a thunderstorm activity to increase across west-central Illinois late this afternoon. Storms are expected to develop into a line of storms by early evening west of the Illinois River and push east/southeast through the evening hours. Several tornadoes are possible today in addition to large hail, damaging winds, and localized flooding. Stay weather aware!

A life jacket can’t save your life if it’s floating on top of the water and you’re sinking to the bottom. Having a life jacket on your boat, even if it’s “readily accessible,” is not good enough. so you can enjoy boating another day.

Last night, SCRS members participated in Stop the Bleed training followed by hands on practice to apply direct pressure, packing a wound, and using a tourniquet to stop bleeding.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a enhanced risk (Level 3 or 5) severe weather today, Friday, April 17, 2026 from the afternoon - evening.

County Specific threats:
- Damaging Winds: 45 – 59% chance of gusts up to 75 mph
- Hail: 5 – 14% Potential for significant sizes.
- Tornadoes:
*NW part of the county: 5–9% probability of EF2+ strength
*SE part of the county: 2 – 4% probability of EF2+ strength
- Rainfall Leading to Flash Flooding
*Significant risk, at least 15%
*Some areas could get 2+ inches of rain

Storms expected between 3– 12 pm

Strongest storms are expected between 8– 11 pm

Yesterday, community engagement at the Grandview Easter Egg Hunt.

UPDATE: This post is outdated.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 54 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN ILLINOIS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 29 COUNTIES IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS CHRISTIAN DE WITT LOGAN MACON MASON MCLEAN MENARD SANGAMON SHELBY TAZEWELL WOODFORD IN EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS CHAMPAIGN CLARK COLES CUMBERLAND DOUGLAS EDGAR MOULTRIE PIATT VERMILION IN SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS CLAY CRAWFORD EFFINGHAM JASPER LAWRENCE RICHLAND IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS CASS MORGAN SCOTT THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BEARDSTOWN, BLOOMINGTON, CHAMPAIGN, CHARLESTON, CLINTON, DANVILLE, DECATUR, EFFINGHAM, EUREKA, FLORA, GREENUP, HAVANA, JACKSONVILLE, LAWRENCEVILLE, LINCOLN, MARSHALL, MATTOON, MONTICELLO, NEWTON, NORMAL, OLNEY, PARIS, PEKIN, PETERSBURG, ROBINSON, SHELBYVILLE, SPRINGFIELD, SULLIVAN, TAYLORVILLE, TUSCOLA, URBANA, AND WI******ER.

SCRS would like to extend our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to Mark Yeates for his continued support of our diver training and critical equipment repair efforts. Support of this nature directly impacts our ability to train safely, maintain equipment readiness, and respond effectively whenever duty calls.

Headline: Sangamon County Weather: The "Everything Everywhere All At Once" Edition ⛈️❄️🌬️

The National Weather Service is forecasting a meteorological identity crisis for our area starting Sunday afternoon through Monday night. We have a 60% chance of seeing just about every season in a 24-hour window.

Here’s the breakdown so you can plan your (very confused) wardrobe:

LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON – EVENING

⛈️ The Storms: Thunderstorms are expected county-wide.

💨 The Risks: Potential for damaging winds and embedded tornadoes.

📍 East of I-55: Higher risk for severe weather, including frequent lightning and high winds.

SUNDAY NIGHT – MONDAY MORNING

☔️❄️🥶 The Transition: Rain ➡️ Cold ➡️ Snow.

❄️ Travel Alert: Rain will turn to snow overnight. Expect hazardous travel conditions and slippery/snow-covered roads for the Monday morning commute. 🚗❄️

SUNDAY & MONDAY NIGHTS

🥶 The Deep Freeze: Significant cold is moving in with wind chills dropping BELOW ZERO both nights.

❗️ Safety First: High potential for frostbite and livestock stress. Please make sure outdoor animals have proper shelter!

⁉️ Note: Just a friendly reminder that we live in a place where the daily forecast requires both a storm cellar and an ice scraper. Plan your commute and your layers accordingly! 🧥👕🧤

(Again)