Illinois, 1989

Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, May 25, 1989

May 25, 1989 · NWS CHI · 28 events in 23 counties and zones

14 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 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
14
Property damage
$275,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
28

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

14 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When
May 25, 12:00 AM CST
Where
Scott County
Coordinates
39.630, -90.470

Thunderstorm Wind, McHenry

When
May 25, 12:00 AM CST
Where
McHenry County
Coordinates
42.320, -88.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Pike

When
May 25, 12:20 AM CST
Where
Pike County
Coordinates
39.620, -90.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Scott

When
May 25, 12:20 AM CST
Where
Scott County
Coordinates
39.630, -90.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Du Page

When
May 25, 12:28 AM CST
Where
Du Page County
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
41.800, -87.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Macoupin

When
May 25, 12:35 AM CST
Where
Macoupin County
Coordinates
39.450, -89.780

Thunderstorm Wind, Sangamon

When
May 25, 12:50 AM CST
Where
Sangamon County
Injuries
6 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
39.800, -89.650

Tornado, Coles

When
May 25, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Coles County
Rating
F1
Path length
0.8 mi
Path width
30 yd
Property damage
$250,000
Coordinates
39.530, -88.070

Thunderstorm Wind, Christian

When
May 25, 10:17 AM CST
Where
Christian County
Coordinates
39.550, -89.300

Hail, Monroe

When
May 25, 10:18 AM CST
Where
Monroe County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.300, -90.370

Hail, Macoupin

When
May 25, 11:32 AM CST
Where
Macoupin County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Injuries
6 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
39.280, -89.880

Hail, Greene

When
May 25, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Greene County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
39.330, -90.220

Hail, Montgomery

When
May 25, 12:53 PM CST
Where
Montgomery County
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
39.180, -89.650

Hail, Macoupin

When
May 25, 12:53 PM CST
Where
Macoupin County
Measured
2.5 in hail
Coordinates
39.280, -89.880

Thunderstorm Wind, Bond

When
May 25, 1:15 PM CST
Where
Bond County
Coordinates
38.930, -89.270

Hail, Fayette

When
May 25, 1:30 PM CST
Where
Fayette County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
38.970, -89.100

Tornado, Effingham

When
May 25, 1:50 PM CST
Where
Effingham County
Rating
F1
Path length
0.2 mi
Path width
50 yd
Property damage
$25,000
Coordinates
39.070, -88.750

Hail, Clay

When
May 25, 2:00 PM CST
Where
Clay County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.880, -88.520

Hail, Jasper

When
May 25, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Jasper County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.050, -88.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Jasper

When
May 25, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Jasper County
Coordinates
38.980, -88.170

Hail, Clark

When
May 25, 2:51 PM CST
Where
Clark County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.380, -87.700

Hail, Crawford

When
May 25, 2:58 PM CST
Where
Crawford County
Measured
2.75 in hail
Coordinates
38.950, -87.730

Hail, De Witt

When
May 25, 3:40 PM CST
Where
De Witt County
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
40.170, -88.900

Hail, Douglas

When
May 25, 3:45 PM CST
Where
Douglas County
Measured
2 in hail
Coordinates
39.800, -88.170

Thunderstorm Wind, Champaign

When
May 25, 4:10 PM CST
Where
Champaign County
Coordinates
40.130, -88.180

Hail, Edgar

When
May 25, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Edgar County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.620, -87.920

Hail, Edgar

When
May 25, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Edgar County
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
39.830, -87.700

Thunderstorm Wind, Kane

When
May 25, 11:55 PM CST
Where
Kane County
Coordinates
42.030, -88.350

What these are

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.
Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Illinois in 1989Every state in 1989This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 1989Warnings in Illinois, May 1989

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: 10002697, 10002698, 10002699, 10002700, 10002701, 10002702, 10002703, 10002704, 10002705, 10002706, 10002707, 10002708, 10002709, 10002710, 10002711, 10002712, 10002713, 10002714, 10002715, 10002716, 10002717, 10002718, 10002719, 10002720, 10002721, 10002722, 10002723, 10002724.