Tornadoes · United States · Illinois

1974 tornadoes in Illinois

107 tornadoes touched down in Illinois in 1974, 162 percent above the average of the record for the state. They killed 2 people and injured 66.

1973 1975 The whole country in 1974

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Every tornado in Illinois in 1974

March 9 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 9	6:45 PM CDT	F0	Saline	0.1	10

March 29 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
March 29	4:30 PM CDT	F2	Coles	0.1	10		1	$50,000 to $500,000
March 29	4:40 PM CDT	F1	Marion	0.1	10			under $50

April 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 1	5:17 PM CDT	F3	Lawrence	3.3	200			$5,000 to $50,000

April 3 12 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 3	1:10 PM CDT	F0	Grundy	0.1	10
April 3	2:07 PM CDT	F0	McLean	0.1	10
April 3	2:08 PM CDT	F1	Logan	16.7	177			$500,000 to $5 million
April 3	2:30 PM CDT	F3	Macon	20.9	350	1	26	$500,000 to $5 million
April 3	2:30 PM CDT	F3	McLean	7.4	350			$50,000 to $500,000
April 3	2:45 PM CDT	F1	Christian	8.5	70			$50,000 to $500,000
April 3	3:10 PM CDT	F1	Piatt	10.9	20			$500 to $5,000
April 3	3:25 PM CDT	F0	Piatt	3.3	20			$500 to $5,000
April 3	3:48 PM CDT	F3	Champaign	5.9	70	1		$50,000 to $500,000
April 3	3:55 PM CDT	F3	Champaign	14.9	350			$50,000 to $500,000
April 3	4:25 PM CDT	F2	Vermilion	7.8	177		12	$500,000 to $5 million
April 3	4:30 PM CDT	F1	Coles	14.8	90			$5,000 to $50,000

April 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 12	9:05 PM CDT	F2	Champaign	12.5	20			$50,000 to $500,000

April 13 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 13	7:40 PM CDT	F3	Hancock	11.0	700		$500,000 to $5 million
April 13	8:00 PM CDT	F2	Hancock	19.5	500	10	$500,000 to $5 million
April 13	8:00 PM CDT	F2	Mercer	0.1	20		$5,000 to $50,000
April 13	8:04 PM CDT	F2	Mercer	0.1	17	1	$500 to $5,000

April 21 3 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
April 21	2:40 PM CDT	F2	Henry	2.0	50		$500 to $5,000
April 21	4:15 PM CDT	F1	Ogle	0.1	10	2	$50,000 to $500,000
April 21	4:55 PM CDT	F1	Ogle	0.1	10		$50,000 to $500,000

May 16 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
May 16	8:30 PM CDT	F2	Rock Island	9.2	100			$500,000 to $5 million

May 30 5 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
May 30	12:30 PM CDT	F2	Adams	15.8	200	12	$500,000 to $5 million
May 30	6:27 PM CDT	F1	Jasper	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
May 30	6:27 PM CDT	F2	Crawford	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
May 30	6:45 PM CDT	F0	Crawford	0.1	10		$500 to $5,000
May 30	7:05 PM CDT	F0	Wabash	0.1	10

June 6 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 6	6:25 PM CDT	F2	Douglas	3.3	10			$500 to $5,000

June 8 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
June 8	4:50 PM CDT	F0	Clay	0.1	10
June 8	4:55 PM CDT	F0	White	0.1	10
June 8	6:15 PM CDT	F0	Peoria	0.1	10
June 8	7:55 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10

June 9 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 9	7:40 PM CDT	F0	Kane	0.1	10
June 9	8:44 PM CDT	F1	Kankakee	0.1	10

June 14 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 14	4:08 PM CDT	F3	Rock Island	48.6	440		2
June 14	9:40 PM CDT	F0	Scott	0.1	10

June 19 6 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 19	3:00 AM CDT	F2	Woodford	1.0	20	$50 to $500
June 19	7:30 PM CDT	F0	Mason	0.1	10
June 19	7:30 PM CDT	F0	Mason	0.1	10
June 19	7:30 PM CDT	F0	Tazewell	0.1	10
June 19	8:50 PM CDT	F0	Champaign	0.1	10
June 19	9:15 PM CDT	F0	Piatt	0.1	10

June 20 22 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 20	5:45 PM CDT	F0	Jo Daviess	0.1	10
June 20	6:00 PM CDT	F0	Whiteside	0.1	10
June 20	6:12 PM CDT	F0	Henry	0.1	10
June 20	6:30 PM CDT	F1	Henry	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
June 20	6:30 PM CDT	F0	Henry	1.5	10	$50,000 to $500,000
June 20	6:45 PM CDT	F0	Lee	0.1	10
June 20	6:45 PM CDT	F1	Knox	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
June 20	6:45 PM CDT	F0	Ogle	0.1	10
June 20	6:50 PM CDT	F1	Bureau	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
June 20	7:10 PM CDT	F0	Kane	0.1	10
June 20	7:25 PM CDT	F0	Lake	0.1	10
June 20	7:40 PM CDT	F0	Cook	0.1	10
June 20	7:40 PM CDT	F0	DuPage	0.1	10
June 20	7:50 PM CDT	F0	Will	0.1	10
June 20	7:53 PM CDT	F0	McLean	0.1	10
June 20	8:15 PM CDT	F1	Knox	0.1	10
June 20	8:20 PM CDT	F0	Iroquois	0.1	10
June 20	8:30 PM CDT	F0	Iroquois	0.1	10
June 20	9:00 PM CDT	F0	Knox	0.1	10
June 20	9:20 PM CDT	F0	Knox	0.1	10
June 20	9:30 PM CDT	F0	McDonough	0.1	10
June 20	9:40 PM CDT	F0	Fulton	0.1	10

June 21 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 21	8:05 PM CDT	F1	McDonough	0.1	10
June 21	9:17 PM CDT	F1	Schuyler	0.1	10

June 22 4 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
June 22	8:08 AM CDT	F2	Woodford	0.8	100	$5,000 to $50,000
June 22	3:04 PM CDT	F0	Shelby	0.1	10
June 22	4:30 PM CDT	F0	Coles	0.1	10
June 22	5:00 PM CDT	F2	Johnson	0.1	10

July 1 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 1	10:44 PM CDT	F0	LaSalle	0.1	10

July 14 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 14	1:15 PM CDT	F0	Cook	0.1	10

August 2 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 2	2:00 PM CDT	F1	Morgan	2.3	33			$5,000 to $50,000

August 10 25 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Damage
August 10	2:25 PM CDT	F0	Madison	0.1	10
August 10	2:40 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10	$50 to $500
August 10	2:50 PM CDT	F2	Montgomery	2.7	20	$500 to $5,000
August 10	3:20 PM CDT	F0	Effingham	0.1	10	under $50
August 10	3:29 PM CDT	F0	Ogle	0.1	10
August 10	3:30 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	3:30 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	3:45 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	3:45 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	4:00 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	4:00 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	4:20 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	4:20 PM CDT	F0	Moultrie	0.1	10
August 10	4:30 PM CDT	F0	Coles	0.1	10
August 10	4:35 PM CDT	F0	Coles	0.1	10
August 10	4:35 PM CDT	F3	Jasper	0.1	10	$5,000 to $50,000
August 10	4:40 PM CDT	F2	Coles	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
August 10	4:40 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	4:40 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	5:00 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	5:00 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
August 10	5:00 PM CDT	F0	Shelby	0.1	10	$50 to $500
August 10	5:30 PM CDT	F3	Coles	0.1	10	$500 to $5,000
August 10	5:40 PM CDT	F0	Macon	0.1	10
August 10	8:00 PM CDT	F1	Douglas	11.5	30	$500 to $5,000

August 12 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 12	7:50 PM CDT	F0	Rock Island	0.1	10

August 13 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 13	3:10 PM CDT	F0	Coles	0.1	10
August 13	4:03 PM CDT	F0	Coles	0.1	10

August 18 1 tornado

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
August 18	2:54 PM CDT	F1	Fayette	0.1	10			$50 to $500

September 12 2 tornadoes

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
September 12	4:30 PM CDT	F2	Putnam	0.3	600			$5,000 to $50,000
September 12	4:34 PM CDT	F2	LaSalle	0.1	10			$500 to $5,000

Nearby

Every tornado in Illinois since 1950 Warnings in force in Illinois The live radar over Illinois

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.