The National Weather Service is now confirming a brief tornado touched down in a field northwest of Salem around 3:50 Sunday afternoon as isolated heavy thunderstorms were moving through the area.
The weather service says the touchdown was in a field southeast of the intersection of Boone Street and Hoots Chapel Road. Their report follows the review of several videos that showed the tornado mainly kicking up dirt with no reported damage. The weather service says the tornado lasted for an unknown period of time, but likely under a minute, before dissipating. The time estimate was made by radar.
Those in a nearby area north of Odin also reported small hail from the same storm.
Weak tornado skipping across a field near Tonti and West Boone Street Road. Still shot from video taken by Nic Walsh.
Nic Walsh was farming a nearby field when he looked up when he was shocked to look up and see what appeared to be a tornado touchdown in the open field for about 30 to 40 seconds. Walsh said the tenth to two-tenths of an inch of rain that followed put an end to farming for the night, but he said it was a welcome break after four and a half days of almost constant work trying to get the crop in. He said they should be able to return to the fields on Monday.
WJBD Facebook users have submitted photos of weak funnel clouds hanging from the clouds from near Germantown in Clinton County to the Teutopolis area in Effingham County.
A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect at the time, but no warnings. The storms dumped heavy rains in parts of east-central Clinton County and northern Marion County resulting in a flash flood watch.
Craig Morton caught this shot of another funnel cloud aloft above the parking lot at the Salem Reservoir parking lot near Salem Township Hospital.
