Reports of tornado touch down near Gifford appear to be false alarm

Tue, 06/26/2018 - 9:52pm |

GIFFORD — Conflicting tornado reports were heard out of Gifford on Tuesday night, but it appeared that a NOAA weather alert was ultimately incorrect.

About 8:45 p.m., an alert was issued saying a tornado was on the ground in the Champaign County community. The National Weather Service said spotters confirmed a tornado touchdown near Gifford, and the twister was moving northeast at 30 miles per hour.

It appeared to be a false alarm, according to Gifford Fire Chief Rich McFadden, who said the town received only a little rain.

“No high winds and nothing on the fire pagers,” McFadden said.

At around 9 p.m., the weather service said the storm weakened, and the tornado warning was allowed to expire 15 minutes early.

Gifford residents can be excused if they take tornado warnings more seriously than some others. A large chunk of the community was destroyed by a tornado that swept through its north end in November 2013.

First responders in Champaign and Vermilion counties said they were not aware of any major damage or injuries.

Champaign County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Allen Jones reported damage to a shed on Route 136 west of Gifford. He said complete damage assessments would be done Wednesday morning.

University of Illinois weather instructor Jeff Frame shared photos on Twitter: