Weather

Funnel Cloud Spotted Over Manhattan

A weather spotter says Monday night's severe storms in Manhattan included a funnel cloud that formed as two storms in the area merged.

MANHATTAN, IL - A funnel cloud formed over a section of Manhattan Monday night. A local weather spotter says he saw it to the west of his subdivision around 6:30 p.m.

"It did not touch down, but anytime you have two storms merging like we did it can create a dangerous situation," said Daniel Casper, operator of the Manhattan Weather Channel Facebook page. It was Casper who made the initial call to 911 to have the sirens sound in the village.

He says it formed when a storm headed north from Kankakee merged with another headed southeast into the area.

Find out what's happening in Manhattanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

"The thing just blossomed," Casper said. "I saw the funnel cloud coming down below the updraft and there was a bunch of stuff swirling below it."

Casper shared photos and videos of the storm's damage in Manhattan, which left several without power as trees and power lines were downed and various items were tossed around from the heavy winds.

Find out what's happening in Manhattanfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Photo via Daniel Casper / Facebook Live video screenshot

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