Tornadoes · United States · Illinois

Tornadoes in Champaign County, Illinois

92 tornadoes have crossed Champaign County since 1950, 5 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 5th of the 102 counties in Illinois with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 5 people and injured 89. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  7. 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.

Now

Tornadoes
92
Deaths
5
Injuries
89
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, March 20, 1976

The deadliest in Champaign County

  1. F3, Champaign, Vermilion, Warren, Fountain, Tippecanoe and Clinton counties, Illinois and IndianaApril 9, 19533 killed, 22 injured
  2. F3, Champaign County, IllinoisApril 19, 19961 killed, 13 injured
  3. F3, Champaign County, IllinoisApril 3, 19741 killed

The strongest

  1. F4, Macon, Piatt, Champaign and Vermilion counties, IllinoisMarch 20, 1976F4, 63.7 mi (102 km)
  2. F3, Champaign, Vermilion, Warren, Fountain, Tippecanoe and Clinton counties, Illinois and IndianaApril 9, 1953F3, 156.7 mi (252 km)
  3. F3, Piatt, Macon and Champaign counties, IllinoisApril 22, 1963F3, 31.8 mi (51 km)
  4. EF3, Champaign, Vermilion and Iroquois counties, IllinoisNovember 17, 2013EF3, 29.8 mi (48 km)
  5. EF3, Douglas and Champaign counties, IllinoisNovember 17, 2013EF3, 18.7 mi (30 km)
  6. F3, Champaign and Vermilion counties, IllinoisApril 3, 1974F3, 14.9 mi (24 km)
  7. F3, Champaign County, IllinoisApril 3, 1974F3, 5.9 mi (9 km)
  8. F3, Champaign County, IllinoisApril 19, 1996F3, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  9. F3, Champaign County, IllinoisApril 19, 1996F3, 2.0 mi (3 km)
  10. F2, McLean, DeWitt, Piatt and Champaign counties, IllinoisJune 4, 1960F2, 56.2 mi (90 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 39 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Champaign County. Each year links to every tornado in Illinois that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20265EF1
20254EF1
202332EF1
20212EF0
20193EF1
20183EF1
20161EF2
20151EF0
201326EF3
20122EF1
20111EF0
20066F0
20046F1
20034F0
200132F1
20002F0
19993F0
19982F0
19963125F3
19941F0
19933F0
199211F0
19902F2
19872F2
19851F1
19841F1
19812F1
1976218F4
197461F3
19711F1
19701F0
196725F2
196315F3
19621F2
196122F2
196021F2
19581F0
19553F1
19531322F3

Every tornado that crossed Champaign County

92 tornadoes, newest first. The 5 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 17, 20269:51 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.950
April 27, 20266:55 PM CDTEF1Piatt15.5500
June 11, 20267:20 PM CDTEF1Champaign9.10
June 11, 20267:26 PM CDTEF1Champaign3.0150
August 11, 20263:12 PM CDTEF1Piatt22.5800
May 20, 20254:57 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.930
May 13, 20254:24 PM CDTUnratedChampaign0.110
March 30, 20251:20 PM CDTEF1Champaign12.1300
March 14, 202512:40 AM CDTEF1Champaign13.7450
March 31, 20237:39 PM CDTEF1Champaign10.85002
February 27, 20238:55 AM CSTUnratedChampaign1.525
February 27, 20238:43 AM CSTEF0Champaign1.130
July 12, 202112:30 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.750$12,000
June 25, 20215:27 PM CDTUnratedChampaign0.125
May 26, 20191:35 AM CDTEF1Champaign1.0250
May 26, 20191:27 AM CDTEF1Champaign0.8250
May 26, 20191:23 AM CDTEF1Champaign0.9250
June 26, 20188:27 PM CDTEF1Champaign3.975$37,000
June 10, 20182:19 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.120$20,000
June 10, 20182:16 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.130$80,000
September 9, 20166:31 PM CDTEF2Champaign6.375$800,000
June 7, 20159:03 PM CDTEF0Piatt2.725$85,000
November 17, 201312:45 PM CSTEF3Champaign29.88806$63 million
November 17, 201312:44 PM CSTEF3Douglas18.7440$2.0 million
May 1, 20124:40 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.120
May 1, 20124:06 PM CDTEF1Champaign8.175$25,000
May 25, 20116:58 PM CDTEF0Champaign0.215$5,000
May 31, 20062:43 PM CDTF0Champaign0.450
May 31, 20062:39 PM CDTF0Douglas1.050
May 31, 20062:33 PM CDTF0Champaign0.450
May 31, 20062:20 PM CDTF0Champaign1.250
April 2, 20067:25 PM CDTF0Champaign0.350
April 2, 20067:15 PM CDTF0Champaign0.130
November 1, 20043:35 PM CSTF0Champaign1.5100
June 10, 20042:38 PM CDTF1Champaign3.030$10,000
June 10, 20042:20 PM CDTF0Champaign0.510
June 10, 20042:00 PM CDTF0Champaign0.710
April 20, 20042:32 PM CDTF0Champaign0.150
April 20, 20042:00 PM CDTF1Douglas3.950$70,000
July 9, 20036:22 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
May 14, 20037:14 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
May 14, 20036:45 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
May 14, 20036:12 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
October 24, 20011:55 PM CDTF1Champaign1.01002$500,000
August 18, 20013:51 PM CDTF0Champaign0.15
August 18, 20013:14 PM CDTF0Champaign0.120
June 20, 20009:08 PM CDTF0Piatt2.650$20,000
May 18, 20007:45 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
June 4, 19996:27 PM CDTF0Champaign0.120
June 4, 19996:13 PM CDTF0Champaign0.120
June 1, 19998:42 PM CDTF0Champaign0.210
June 29, 19985:58 PM CDTF0Champaign0.630
May 2, 19983:42 PM CDTF0Champaign0.130
May 28, 19961:35 PM CDTF0Champaign0.340
April 19, 19968:55 PM CDTF3Champaign2.01,500113
April 19, 19968:34 PM CDTF3Champaign4.022012$9.0 million
April 26, 199411:45 PM CDTF0Champaign0.350
June 8, 19936:28 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
June 8, 19936:23 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
June 8, 19936:20 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
June 17, 19924:45 PM CDTF0Champaign0.1101
June 20, 19901:55 AM CDTF2Douglas8.0100$500,000 to $5 million
May 9, 19908:40 PM CDTF1Champaign0.550$5,000 to $50,000
June 2, 19872:12 PM CDTF2Champaign0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 11, 19874:46 PM CDTF0Champaign1.010
November 19, 19853:58 PM CSTF1Piatt5.040$50,000 to $500,000
August 28, 19847:09 PM CDTF1Champaign1.010$50,000 to $500,000
June 8, 19819:40 PM CDTF1Champaign0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 8, 19819:37 PM CDTF1Champaign0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 15, 19767:50 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110$50 to $500
March 20, 19761:15 PM CSTF4Macon63.780018$500,000 to $5 million
August 10, 19748:00 PM CDTF1Douglas11.530$500 to $5,000
June 19, 19748:50 PM CDTF0Champaign0.110
April 12, 19749:05 PM CDTF2Champaign12.520$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19743:55 PM CDTF3Champaign14.9350$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19743:48 PM CDTF3Champaign5.9701$50,000 to $500,000
April 3, 19743:10 PM CDTF1Piatt10.920$500 to $5,000
December 10, 19715:00 AM CSTF1Champaign0.130$50,000 to $500,000
July 19, 19707:18 PM CDTF0Champaign0.120under $50
April 21, 19678:50 PM GMT-6F1Champaign0.110$500 to $5,000
January 24, 19678:40 PM GMT-6F2Champaign10.4505$5,000 to $50,000
April 22, 19636:00 PM GMT-6F3Piatt31.82005$50,000 to $500,000
July 2, 19624:30 PM GMT-5F2Champaign6.950$5,000 to $50,000
March 6, 19614:15 AM GMT-6F2Douglas30.6102$50,000 to $500,000
March 4, 19616:15 PM GMT-6F0Champaign6.250$5,000 to $50,000
June 23, 19605:03 AM GMT-5F2Champaign3.8800$5,000 to $50,000
June 4, 196012:37 AM GMT-5F2McLean56.2201$50,000 to $500,000
June 23, 19583:15 PM GMT-5F0Champaign0.140$50 to $500
November 15, 19553:00 PM GMT-6F1Champaign0.110
August 29, 19556:30 PM GMT-5F0Champaign0.110
August 29, 19556:30 PM GMT-5F0Champaign0.110
April 9, 19535:15 PM GMT-6F3Champaign to IN156.7750322$5 million to $50 million

Nearby

Warnings in force in Champaign CountyThe forecast for Champaign CountyThe live radar over Champaign CountyEvery county in 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.