Champaign County officials say a possible funnel cloud was reported Tuesday night, but no damage or confirmation has been found following the brief incident.
Two deputies reported seeing what appeared to be a tornado around 8:43 p.m. near State Route 36 and State Route 559 while responding to a call. The storm was moving east toward Union County, crossing State Route 559 just north of State Route 36. Dispatch quickly notified Champaign County EMA, the Sheriff’s Office, local fire departments, and Union County due to the projected path. However, the activity dissipated within seconds — before notifications were fully completed.
EMA responded to the area that night and conducted a follow-up assessment in daylight, finding no signs of damage. No reports were received from residents or property owners. Officials also consulted with the National Weather Service, which identified a brief area of possible rotation on radar, but not enough to meet warning criteria. Due to the lack of supporting data and damage, the event is not being classified as a tornado.
Officials noted that without the deputies’ firsthand report, the event likely would have gone unnoticed, and its short duration made any public alert unlikely.
The incident also highlights the county’s ongoing discussion about warning systems. Champaign County currently does not have tornado sirens after the previous system was removed due to aging infrastructure and high replacement costs. Officials estimate a single siren, covering roughly a 5,000-foot radius, costs around $30,000, not including software and infrastructure. Full county coverage could require more than 190 sirens, while covering smaller areas like the Village of St. Paris would still cost roughly $120,000.
In place of sirens, the county has used CodeRED, though officials say it has experienced reliability issues. A transition to a new alerting system is currently underway, with more information expected to be released in the coming weeks. Residents are encouraged to follow official channels and local media for updates.
