Tornado in Bureau County, Illinois

This tornado was first reported near Neponset at 1730 CDT – near highway 92 by 1800 CDT and photographed just west of Walnut at 1815 CDT. Photographs taken by Kevin Hladik verified that at least two tornadoes were on the ground at the same time in the Walnut area. The tornadoes appeared to be several hundred yards apart. The Melvin "Red" Donovan farm had some of the most extensive damage including their two story farm house that was totally destroyed. Most of the house debris was little more than kindling wood. The basement was almost entirely filled with tornado debris so thankfully the Donovans were not home when the tornado struck. Damage was estimated at $300,000 to $500,000 in the Walnut area alone. Two sheriff squad cars were dented by golf ball-size hail as deputies were tracking the tornadoes. On one of the cars the windshield and one headlight were broken out.

On the evening of July 24, a line of severe thunderstorms moved through Bureau County. This line intensified over Princeton, IL producing a series of down-bursts which resulted in straight-line winds of 80 to 90 mph and the formation of a brief EF1 tornado with wind speeds estimated to be around 105 mph. The tornado formed in a field southeast of town around 950 pm and tracked east southeast where it caused damage to a farmstead near Highway 26. It dissipated in a field east of Highway 26 around 955 pm. The farm had one barn completely destroyed. Debris from the barn damaged the house and some vehicles. A two by six board was driven into the side of the garage. A grain bin just north of the house was also destroyed. Trees and power poles at the property were snapped.

A tornado touched down just on the edge of town causing severe damage to a large barn on the Robert Vander-Meersch farm. Some trees were also twisted and damaged at this time. The short damage path of this tornado skipped into town where it destroyed several out buildings near the school.