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Illinois Weather Trivia for March 20^th

3/20/1976

A violent tornado created a 63 mile long path of destruction across east central Illinois. The tornado first touched down just southeast of Decatur and moved east-northeast to near Danville. The worst damage occurred at Sadorus, in southwestern Champaign County. 13 houses and 7 mobile homes were destroyed, and another 25 houses were damaged beyond repair; total damage was estimated at $2 million. At the time, the tornado was 1/2 mile wide and had multiple vortices within the main tornado funnel. The tornado then destroyed several homes in Philo. Downtown Ogden took a direct hit from the tornado, with $1 million damage reported.

3/20/1996

A winter storm moved across southeast Illinois on the 19th and 20th, producing up to 11 inches of snow. In Clark County near Casey, a semi-truck skidded out of control and slammed into an overpass, killing the driver. The truck was carrying a chlorine compound, requiring nearby buildings to be evacuated as a precaution.