Storm Records: Illinois
Every storm the National Weather Service has filed in Illinois: its floods, heat, cold, winter storms, hail, wind, lightning and tornadoes, year by year and county by county, each episode with its narrative.
The worst in Illinois on the map
The deadliest and costliest episodes on record here, 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
The record
- Events
- 66,756
- Deaths
- 1,174
- Injuries
- 6,499
- Damage
- $8.7 billion
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.
Every year
Tap a year for every episode in it.
Deaths each year
By kind of event
| Kind of event | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 22,068 | 37 | 703 | $763 million |
| Hail | 12,331 | 0 | 47 | $237 million |
| Tornado | 3,647 | 236 | 4,649 | $3.1 billion |
| Flash Flood | 3,281 | 27 | 17 | $2.5 billion |
| Flood | 3,209 | 34 | 24 | $313 million |
| Winter Storm | 2,927 | 24 | 67 | $82 million |
| Winter Weather | 2,917 | 48 | 174 | $1.9 million |
| Dense Fog | 2,188 | 10 | 54 | $219,000 |
| Heat | 2,049 | 363 | 423 | $25,000 |
| Drought | 1,586 | 0 | 0 | $1.5 billion |
| Heavy Snow | 1,512 | 16 | 31 | $460,000 |
| Strong Wind | 1,505 | 8 | 31 | $3.0 million |
| High Wind | 1,308 | 9 | 38 | $55 million |
| Excessive Heat | 1,227 | 62 | 21 | $750,000 |
| Frost/Freeze | 1,143 | 0 | 0 | $50 million |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 903 | 160 | 1 | $8,000 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 633 | 51 | 5 | |
| Heavy Rain | 613 | 5 | 1 | $1.3 million |
| Ice Storm | 488 | 7 | 52 | $13 million |
| Lightning | 447 | 22 | 90 | $26 million |
| Funnel Cloud | 304 | 0 | 0 | |
| Blizzard | 240 | 21 | 5 | $4.4 million |
| Sleet | 53 | 0 | 0 | |
| Dust Storm | 49 | 8 | 50 | $101,000 |
| Freezing Fog | 41 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rip Current | 23 | 21 | 10 | |
| Wildfire | 22 | 0 | 5 | $4.7 million |
| Lakeshore Flood | 15 | 0 | 0 | $25 million |
| Lake-Effect Snow | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| High Surf | 5 | 5 | 1 | |
| Seiche | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Waterspout | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 0 | 0 | $50,000 |
| Coastal Flood | 2 | 0 | 0 |
The deadliest
- Heat in Illinois, July 28 to 31, 1999An intense heat wave began in the Chicago metropolitan area July 28th and continued through the morning of July 31st. High temperatures on the 28th were in the lower to middle 90s with heat indices 100 to 105.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, April 21, 1967
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, August 28, 1990
- Excessive Heat in Illinois, July 4 to 7, 2012Northern Illinois experienced an intense heat wave during the first week of July. High temperatures at Chicago O'Hare Airport reached 102 on the 4th, 103 on the 5th and 6th and 98 on the 7th.
- Heat in Illinois, August 1 to 2, 2006The second heat wave of the summer developed during late July 2006 and continued into early August. See Stormdata, July 2006, Illinois, Northeast. The high temperature at Northerly Island in downtown Chicago reached 99 on August 1st and 96 on August 2nd.
- Heat in Illinois, June 21 to 30, 1997From the period of June 21st through June 30th, temperatures were in the middle 80s to lower 90s, causing heat-related deaths throughout the Chicago area.
- Heat in Illinois, July 17 to 26, 2011The Chicago area experienced an intense heat wave in mid to late July. High temperatures at Chicago O'Hare were 95 on the 17th, 92 on the 18th, 93 on the 19th, 99 on the 20th, and 99 on the 21st. Low temperatures were mostly in the 70s.
- Blizzard in Illinois, February 1 to 2, 2011A powerful and enormous winter storm moved across northern Illinois with blizzard conditions across much of the area which paralayzed the region.
- Heat in Illinois, August 6 to 9, 2001The high temperature climbed to 92 degrees at Ohare Airport on August 6th with a maximum heat index of 93 degrees. Heat indices arond the Chicago metro area were in the middle 90s.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, December 18, 1957
- Heat in Illinois, July 21 to 25, 1999A moderate heat wave began in the Chicago metropolitan area on July 21 and continued through July 25.
- Heat in Illinois, July 1 to 4, 2002July 2002 began well above normal with high temperatures in the lower to middle 90s across the Chicago area with overnight low temperatures mainly in the 70s. The prolonged heat and humidity which began in late June 2002, caused several heat related fatalities in Cook county.
- Extreme Cold in Illinois, February 1 to 19, 2007High temperatures were below freezing for the first 18 days of the month. February 4th and 5th were the coldest with high temperatures at Chicago Ohare Airport of only 2 above on the 4th and 5 above on the 5th.
- Heat in Illinois, July 15 to 22, 2002An extended period of hot weather began on July 15th and continued through July 22nd. High temperatures ranged mainly from the upper 80s to middle 90s. July 21st was the hottest day when high temperatures reached the middle to upper 90s.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, May 29, 1982
- Heat in Illinois, June 24 to 28, 1998Daytime temperatures were in the lower to middle 90s with dewpoints in the 70s on the 24th and 25th, producing heat indices of 102 to 107. Thunderstorms brought some relief from the heat on the 26th, though humidity was still high.
- Heat in Illinois, July 21 to 24, 2001An excessive heat watch was issued on Friday, July 20th and an excessive heat warning was issued on Saturday, July 21st. The high temperature at Ohare Airport was 93 on both July 20th and 21st, 95 on July 22nd, 92 on July 23rd and 90 on July 24th.
- Heat in Illinois, July 15 to 17, 2006The first heat wave of the summer developed in the middle of July. High temperatures at Northerly Island in downtown Chicago reached 92 on July 15th, 94 on July 16th and 95 on July 17th. The peak heat index reached 99 on July 15th, 104 on July 16th and 113 on July 17th.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, May 15, 1968
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, April 20, 2004The tornado entered LaSalle County from Putnam County, approximately 3 miles northeast of the town of Standard, producing F0 intensity damage in a wooded area southwest of Peru.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, February 29, 2012A squall line with embedded sustained supercells crossed southern Illinois. The embedded supercells raced east-northeast at 60 to 70 mph, while the line moved southeast at a slower rate.
- Heat in Illinois, July 18 to 31, 1999A heat wave gripped the region the last 2 weeks of July. Temperatures remained in the middle to upper 90s with a few days topping 100 degrees. The Heat Index ranged from 105 to near 115 degrees. Most of the deaths and injuries occurred in the Metro East area of St.
- Dust Storm in Illinois, May 1, 2023Northwest winds gusting from 35-40 mph lofted dust from newly plowed farm fields resulting in near zero visibility across portions of northern Montgomery County, southern Sangamon County, and southwestern Christian County in Illinois.
- Heat in Illinois, June 21 to 25, 2002Seven residents of Cook county died of heat related illinesses brought on by a prolonged period of hot weather. High temperatures at Chicago Ohare Airport ranged from the upper 80s to lower 90s with heat indices in the mid to upper 90s between June 21st and June 25th.
- Extreme Cold in Illinois, December 2 to 8, 2006After the winter storm brought several inches of snow to northern Illinois, cold temperatures settled across the area. Low temperatures on the morning of the 3rd, 4th and 5th were in the single digits.
The costliest
- Tornadoes in Illinois, November 17, 2013
- Drought in Illinois, September 1 to 30, 2012
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Illinois, July 2, 2023
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 17, 2025
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Illinois, May 8, 2009
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, July 23 to 24, 2010
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, May 29, 1982
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, August 28, 1990
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, April 17 to 18, 2013
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Illinois, July 25 to 26, 2025
- Drought in Illinois, July 1 to 31, 2005
- Drought in Illinois, October 1 to 31, 2012
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, June 17 to 18, 2011
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, December 1, 2018
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Illinois, April 17 to 18, 2013
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, May 21 to 22, 2014
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 20 to 21, 2003
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Illinois, June 5, 2010
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, November 12, 1965
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 27, 1991
- Drought in Illinois, September 1 to 30, 2007
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, April 21, 1967
- Damaging Winds in Illinois, June 23, 1994
- Drought in Illinois, September 1 to 30, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 12, 1999
Counties
Every storm event filed in each county, including the zone-filed ones that covered it.
- Adams County641
- Alexander County929
- Bond County333
- Boone County419
- Brown County261
- Bureau County692
- Calhoun County270
- Carroll County608
- Cass County319
- Champaign County1,042
- Christian County550
- Clark County302
- Clay County447
- Clinton County470
- Coles County542
- Cook County2,998
- Crawford County362
- Cumberland County255
- DeKalb County654
- DeWitt County393
- Douglas County373
- DuPage County1,203
- Edgar County389
- Edwards County625
- Effingham County466
- Fayette County383
- Ford County380
- Franklin County962
- Fulton County758
- Gallatin County774
- Greene County307
- Grundy County495
- Hamilton County662
- Hancock County710
- Hardin County565
- Henderson County410
- Henry County905
- Iroquois County564
- Jackson County1,198
- Jasper County301
- Jefferson County827
- Jersey County388
- Jo Daviess County686
- Johnson County719
- Kane County1,147
- Kankakee County698
- Kendall County507
- Knox County521
- Lake County869
- LaSalle County935
- Lawrence County357
- Lee County539
- Livingston County563
- Logan County684
- Macon County716
- Macoupin County649
- Madison County1,009
- Marion County497
- Marshall County397
- Mason County384
- Massac County805
- McDonough County786
- McHenry County854
- McLean County943
- Menard County367
- Mercer County538
- Monroe County451
- Montgomery County533
- Morgan County476
- Moultrie County292
- Ogle County602
- Peoria County875
- Perry County790
- Piatt County350
- Pike County443
- Pope County660
- Pulaski County768
- Putnam County373
- Randolph County540
- Richland County275
- Rock Island County872
- Saint Clair County1,047
- Saline County815
- Sangamon County1,107
- Schuyler County326
- Scott County256
- Shelby County411
- Stark County286
- Stephenson County756
- Tazewell County913
- Union County773
- Vermilion County830
- Wabash County776
- Warren County487
- Washington County441
- Wayne County788
- White County949
- Whiteside County794
- Will County1,440
- Williamson County891
- Winnebago County888
- Woodford County588
Counties and zones as filed
The places filed most often, as the offices named them.
| County or zone | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | 2,775 | 58 | 893 | $1.7 billion |
| Will | 1,279 | 40 | 499 | $378 million |
| Du Page | 992 | 8 | 147 | $49 million |
| Sangamon | 973 | 5 | 181 | $80 million |
| Kane | 935 | 1 | 14 | $33 million |
| St. Clair | 895 | 16 | 154 | $32 million |
| Champaign | 880 | 2 | 71 | $167 million |
| Madison | 853 | 6 | 69 | $98 million |
| McLean | 794 | 1 | 20 | $43 million |
| Tazewell | 782 | 3 | 210 | $1.0 billion |
| La Salle | 769 | 11 | 93 | $99 million |
| Peoria | 731 | 3 | 41 | $260 million |
| Vermilion | 716 | 1 | 32 | $76 million |
| Winnebago | 695 | 3 | 15 | $41 million |
| Henry | 688 | 2 | 16 | $120 million |
| McHenry | 669 | 7 | 123 | $40 million |
| Lake | 655 | 3 | 155 | $42 million |
| Rock Island | 634 | 4 | 25 | $17 million |
| Fulton | 629 | 4 | 126 | $70 million |
| Jackson zone | 607 | 2 | 44 | $9.9 million |
| McDonough | 598 | 0 | 3 | $11 million |
| Jackson | 591 | 14 | 220 | $122 million |
| Alexander zone | 590 | 0 | 1 | $29 million |
| Macon | 588 | 1 | 85 | $52 million |
| Kankakee | 575 | 4 | 92 | $41 million |
| Logan | 569 | 6 | 83 | $76 million |
| Whiteside | 560 | 0 | 9 | $10 million |
| Union zone | 542 | 4 | 17 | $6.6 million |
| White zone | 534 | 1 | 6 | $8.1 million |
| Gallatin zone | 533 | 1 | 0 | $6.3 million |
| Macoupin | 530 | 3 | 16 | $7.5 million |
| Stephenson | 522 | 2 | 4 | $18 million |
| Pulaski zone | 522 | 1 | 0 | $23 million |
| Franklin zone | 521 | 5 | 20 | $4.3 million |
| Hancock | 516 | 0 | 14 | $33 million |
| Adams | 515 | 0 | 23 | $4.5 million |
| Williamson zone | 512 | 2 | 33 | $5.5 million |
| Massac zone | 501 | 1 | 10 | $26 million |
| Saline zone | 494 | 1 | 13 | $5.1 million |
| De Kalb | 492 | 2 | 31 | $16 million |
| Wabash zone | 492 | 0 | 3 | $8.3 million |
| Bureau | 490 | 1 | 2 | $11 million |
| Jefferson zone | 488 | 4 | 15 | $6.9 million |
| Pope zone | 487 | 0 | 2 | $19 million |
| Hamilton zone | 483 | 1 | 0 | $6.7 million |
| Johnson zone | 482 | 0 | 0 | $9.2 million |
| Hardin zone | 478 | 1 | 1 | $17 million |
| Perry zone | 476 | 3 | 0 | $3.9 million |
| Edwards zone | 474 | 1 | 1 | $57 million |
| Wayne zone | 473 | 2 | 22 | $7.1 million |
| Woodford | 466 | 0 | 14 | $75 million |
| Christian | 452 | 4 | 29 | $134 million |
| Ogle | 452 | 1 | 14 | $15 million |
| Jo Daviess | 447 | 3 | 5 | $19 million |
| Franklin | 441 | 1 | 39 | $31 million |
| Iroquois | 440 | 0 | 15 | $18 million |
| Coles | 437 | 1 | 44 | $28 million |
| Livingston | 425 | 4 | 18 | $13 million |
| Randolph | 425 | 1 | 14 | $10 million |
| Montgomery | 419 | 3 | 18 | $2.3 million |
| White | 416 | 2 | 22 | $16 million |
| Knox | 398 | 2 | 48 | $54 million |
| Lee | 392 | 0 | 15 | $3.3 million |
| Marion | 387 | 7 | 24 | $11 million |
| Effingham | 386 | 2 | 15 | $4.5 million |
| Williamson | 380 | 11 | 237 | $496 million |
| Morgan | 376 | 1 | 13 | $171 million |
| Clay | 375 | 0 | 20 | $25 million |
| Carroll | 373 | 0 | 15 | $17 million |
| Kendall | 372 | 0 | 1 | $9.8 million |
| Clinton | 358 | 3 | 0 | $33 million |
| Grundy | 356 | 0 | 16 | $117 million |
| Cook zone | 349 | 519 | 44 | $30 million |
| Mercer | 342 | 1 | 6 | $38 million |
| Jefferson | 339 | 7 | 64 | $29 million |
| Alexander | 339 | 0 | 13 | $28 million |
| Washington | 327 | 3 | 5 | $2.9 million |
| Pike | 322 | 2 | 5 | $23 million |
| Saline | 322 | 9 | 105 | $37 million |
| Shelby | 321 | 8 | 69 | $70 million |
| Wayne | 315 | 2 | 51 | $16 million |
| Perry | 315 | 1 | 26 | $10 million |
| Monroe | 315 | 0 | 2 | $3.4 million |
| Warren | 308 | 1 | 1 | $7.7 million |
| Massac | 304 | 5 | 70 | $24 million |
| Edgar | 301 | 0 | 23 | $3.9 million |
| Crawford | 288 | 6 | 12 | $6.9 million |
| Wabash | 284 | 1 | 55 | $36 million |
| Lawrence | 282 | 0 | 17 | $6.8 million |
| Douglas | 280 | 0 | 47 | $112 million |
| De Witt | 277 | 4 | 58 | $22 million |
| Mason | 274 | 1 | 35 | $25 million |
| Boone | 272 | 26 | 454 | $8.3 million |
| Marshall | 272 | 0 | 3 | $22 million |
| Fayette | 270 | 0 | 13 | $6.3 million |
| Menard | 270 | 0 | 7 | $21 million |
| Ford | 266 | 0 | 8 | $21 million |
| Jersey | 253 | 3 | 2 | $5.9 million |
| Pulaski | 246 | 3 | 16 | $8.9 million |
| Piatt | 243 | 1 | 10 | $11 million |
| Gallatin | 241 | 0 | 13 | $9.3 million |
| Jo Daviess zone | 239 | 0 | 0 | $10.0 million |
| Jasper | 238 | 0 | 11 | $3.7 million |
| Johnson | 237 | 1 | 24 | $16 million |
| Rock Island zone | 237 | 3 | 22 | $11 million |
| Carroll zone | 235 | 0 | 0 | $17 million |
| Stephenson zone | 234 | 0 | 0 | $24 million |
| Whiteside zone | 234 | 0 | 3 | $23 million |
| Clark | 233 | 0 | 0 | $3.8 million |
| Union | 232 | 4 | 35 | $13 million |
| Henderson | 227 | 0 | 1 | $21 million |
| Bond | 221 | 2 | 31 | $6.1 million |
| Henry zone | 217 | 1 | 0 | $37 million |
| Lake zone | 214 | 13 | 8 | $339,000 |
| Richland | 213 | 0 | 9 | $6.7 million |
| Schuyler | 213 | 1 | 17 | $15 million |
| Kane zone | 212 | 4 | 15 | $448,000 |
| Cass | 211 | 1 | 7 | $16 million |
| Du Page zone | 211 | 7 | 2 | $492,000 |
| Moultrie | 204 | 0 | 4 | $11 million |
| Bureau zone | 202 | 1 | 0 | $35 million |
| Mercer zone | 196 | 1 | 0 | $24 million |
| Greene | 193 | 0 | 22 | $4.7 million |
| Hancock zone | 193 | 0 | 0 | $20 million |
| Winnebago zone | 193 | 4 | 0 | $177,000 |
| Putnam | 188 | 0 | 6 | $14 million |
| McDonough zone | 188 | 0 | 1 | $25 million |
| Putnam zone | 185 | 0 | 0 | $6.3 million |
| McHenry zone | 185 | 5 | 4 | $257,000 |
| Cumberland | 183 | 0 | 7 | $1.6 million |
| Henderson zone | 183 | 0 | 0 | $13 million |
| Hamilton | 179 | 0 | 9 | $12 million |
| Warren zone | 179 | 0 | 0 | $24 million |
| Pope | 173 | 3 | 6 | $7.5 million |
| Stark | 169 | 0 | 1 | $17 million |
| Scott | 167 | 1 | 9 | $5.5 million |
| La Salle zone | 166 | 2 | 2 | $381,000 |
| Champaign zone | 162 | 10 | 65 | $73 million |
| De Kalb zone | 162 | 1 | 9 | $77,000 |
| Madison zone | 156 | 15 | 117 | $1.8 million |
| St. Clair zone | 152 | 17 | 148 | $79,000 |
| Edwards | 151 | 3 | 4 | $8.7 million |
| Ogle zone | 150 | 4 | 5 | $165,000 |
| McLean zone | 149 | 18 | 28 | $68 million |
| Boone zone | 147 | 0 | 0 | $51,000 |
| Lee zone | 147 | 0 | 0 | $51,000 |
| Brown | 145 | 1 | 22 | $3.4 million |
| Peoria zone | 144 | 17 | 10 | $37 million |
| Calhoun | 142 | 0 | 5 | $556,000 |
| Grundy zone | 139 | 6 | 13 | $502,000 |
Every year
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More
Every tornado in IllinoisEvery warning in Illinois since 1986River gauges in IllinoisEvery state
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.