Illinois, 1987

Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, May 21, 1987

May 21, 1987 · NWS CHI · 33 events in 24 counties and zones

21 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
33

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

Event by event

21 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Winnebago

When
May 21, 2:25 AM CST
Where
Winnebago County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
42.450, -89.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Henry

When
May 21, 5:30 PM CST
Where
Henry County
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
41.230, -89.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Bureau

When
May 21, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Bureau County
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
41.370, -89.470

Hail, Adams

When
May 21, 6:05 PM CST
Where
Adams County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.920, -91.400

Hail, Schuyler

When
May 21, 6:20 PM CST
Where
Schuyler County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.130, -90.500

Hail, Winnebago

When
May 21, 6:37 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
42.370, -88.930

Thunderstorm Wind, Stark

When
May 21, 6:45 PM CST
Where
Stark County
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
41.100, -89.820

Hail, McDonough

When
May 21, 7:05 PM CST
Where
McDonough County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.470, -90.670

Hail, Pike

When
May 21, 7:35 PM CST
Where
Pike County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.530, -90.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Brown

When
May 21, 7:40 PM CST
Where
Brown County
Coordinates
39.970, -90.770

Hail, Morgan

When
May 21, 7:55 PM CST
Where
Morgan County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.730, -90.230

Hail, Scott

When
May 21, 8:00 PM CST
Where
Scott County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
39.630, -90.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Stark

When
May 21, 8:05 PM CST
Where
Stark County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
41.180, -89.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Fulton

When
May 21, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Fulton County
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
40.570, -90.030

Hail, Bureau

When
May 21, 8:15 PM CST
Where
Bureau County
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
41.380, -89.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodford

When
May 21, 8:25 PM CST
Where
Woodford County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
40.820, -89.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Stark

When
May 21, 8:30 PM CST
Where
Stark County
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Coordinates
41.070, -89.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When
May 21, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Lee County
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates
41.720, -89.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Sangamon

When
May 21, 8:57 PM CST
Where
Sangamon County
Coordinates
39.880, -89.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When
May 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
41.120, -89.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Mason

When
May 21, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Mason County
Coordinates
40.250, -89.970

Hail, Woodford

When
May 21, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Woodford County
Measured
1.25 in hail
Coordinates
40.780, -89.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Peoria

When
May 21, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Peoria County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
40.920, -89.480

Thunderstorm Wind, De Witt

When
May 21, 9:15 PM CST
Where
De Witt County
Measured
70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates
40.150, -88.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Peoria

When
May 21, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Peoria County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
40.700, -89.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Fulton

When
May 21, 9:15 PM CST
Where
Fulton County
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Coordinates
40.700, -90.000

Hail, McLean

When
May 21, 9:30 PM CST
Where
McLean County
Measured
1.25 in hail
Coordinates
40.530, -88.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Marshall

When
May 21, 9:30 PM CST
Where
Marshall County
Coordinates
41.120, -89.370

Thunderstorm Wind, La Salle

When
May 21, 9:30 PM CST
Where
La Salle County
Coordinates
41.550, -89.120

Thunderstorm Wind, Tazewell

When
May 21, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Tazewell County
Coordinates
40.620, -89.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Macon

When
May 21, 10:00 PM CST
Where
Macon County
Coordinates
39.850, -88.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Champaign

When
May 21, 10:20 PM CST
Where
Champaign County
Coordinates
40.130, -88.180

Hail, Winnebago

When
May 21, 10:45 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
42.420, -89.000

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1987Every state in 1987This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 1987

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 10003694, 10003695, 10003696, 10003697, 10003698, 10003699, 10003700, 10003701, 10003702, 10003703, 10003704, 10003705, 10003706, 10003707, 10003708, 10003709, 10003710, 10003711, 10003712, 10003713, 10003714, 10003715, 10003716, 10003717, 10003718, 10003719, 10003720, 10003721, 10003722, 10003723, 10004573, 10004574, 10004787.