Storms in Illinois in 2003

1,765 events in 402 episodes

Every storm the National Weather Service filed in Illinois in 2003, with each episode’s narrative and every event in it. From 1996 the record holds 48 kinds of event with each office’s narrative; before that, tornadoes, hail and thunderstorm wind only, and before 1955 tornadoes alone.

Illinois in 2003 on the map

Every episode with a place to put it, colored by kind of event.

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 Illinois

The year

Events: 1,765
Deaths: 11
Injuries: 101
Damage: $242 million
Episodes: 402

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.

By kind of event

Kind of event	Events	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
Hail	588	0	4	$113 million
Thunderstorm Wind	454	0	4	$15 million
Tornado	136	2	84	$97 million
Winter Storm	131	0	0
Flash Flood	93	1	6	$11 million
Flood	51	0	0	$6.0 million
High Wind	50	0	2	$362,000
Heavy Rain	42	0	0	$2,000
Cold/Wind Chill	40	4	0
Heat	39	4	0
Heavy Snow	38	0	0
Winter Weather	28	0	0
Frost/Freeze	22	0	0
Funnel Cloud	20	0	0
Lightning	18	0	1
Strong Wind	5	0	0	$10,000
Sleet	4	0	0
Wildfire	4	0	0
Debris Flow	2	0	0	$50,000

Every episode, month by month

January 2003

February 2003

March 2003

April 2003

May 2003

June 2003

July 2003

August 2003

September 2003

October 2003

Frost and Freeze in Illinois, October 3, 200316 events

November 2003

December 2003

Every year in Illinois Every state in 2003 Tornadoes in Illinois in 2003 Warnings in Illinois in 2003 2002 2004

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.