Tornadoes · United States · Illinois
Tornadoes in Saint Clair County, Illinois
63 tornadoes have crossed Saint Clair County since 1950, 3 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 15th of the 102 counties in Illinois with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.2 years. They have killed 12 people and injured 142. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- 63
- Deaths
- 12
- Injuries
- 142
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- F4, February 24, 1956
The deadliest in Saint Clair County
The strongest
- F4, Franklin, Saint Louis, Saint Clair and Clinton counties, Missouri and IllinoisFebruary 24, 1956
- F3, Saint Clair, Clinton, Bond and Fayette counties, IllinoisApril 5, 1958
- F3, Saint Clair and Madison counties, IllinoisNovember 15, 1988
- F3, Saint Clair County, IllinoisMay 15, 1968
- F2, Saint Clair, Washington and Marion counties, IllinoisMarch 20, 1976
- F2, Monroe, Randolph and Saint Clair counties, IllinoisMarch 29, 1960
- F2, Monroe and Saint Clair counties, IllinoisApril 3, 1968
- F2, Monroe and Saint Clair counties, IllinoisMay 21, 1957
- EF2, Saint Clair County, IllinoisJune 8, 2009
- EF2, Saint Clair and Clinton counties, IllinoisMarch 14, 2025
Every year with a tornado
The 36 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Saint Clair County. Each year links to every tornado in Illinois that year.
| Year | Tornadoes | Deaths | Injuries | Strongest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | EF1 | ||
| 2025 | 5 | EF2 | ||
| 2024 | 2 | EF0 | ||
| 2023 | 4 | EF1 | ||
| 2022 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2019 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2016 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2014 | 2 | EF1 | ||
| 2011 | 1 | EF1 | ||
| 2010 | 1 | EF0 | ||
| 2009 | 1 | EF2 | ||
| 2006 | 2 | 1 | 11 | F2 |
| 2003 | 3 | 2 | F2 | |
| 2002 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 2000 | 1 | 2 | F1 | |
| 1998 | 2 | F0 | ||
| 1996 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1995 | 3 | F1 | ||
| 1992 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1991 | 2 | F0 | ||
| 1990 | 1 | F0 | ||
| 1988 | 2 | F3 | ||
| 1984 | 2 | F0 | ||
| 1983 | 1 | 20 | F2 | |
| 1976 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1973 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1968 | 2 | 4 | 60 | F3 |
| 1967 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1961 | 1 | 1 | F2 | |
| 1960 | 1 | F2 | ||
| 1959 | 1 | F1 | ||
| 1958 | 4 | 1 | 8 | F3 |
| 1957 | 2 | F2 | ||
| 1956 | 2 | 6 | 36 | F4 |
| 1955 | 2 | 2 | F1 | |
| 1952 | 1 | F1 |
Every tornado that crossed Saint Clair County
63 tornadoes, newest first. 1 of them touched down in a neighboring state and ran in, so the record files it under that state rather than Illinois. The 3 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 11, 2026 | 5:05 AM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 2.6 | 0 | |||
| March 15, 2026 | 5:47 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 0.6 | 225 | |||
| April 27, 2026 | 7:53 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 9.7 | 350 | |||
| April 20, 2025 | 8:14 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.8 | 100 | $10,000 | ||
| April 19, 2025 | 1:54 AM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.5 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| March 14, 2025 | 10:30 PM CDT | EF2 | Saint Clair | 11.0 | 700 | $960,000 | ||
| March 14, 2025 | 10:28 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 6.8 | 450 | $170,000 | ||
| March 14, 2025 | 9:52 PM CDT | EF1 | Monroe | 14.7 | 275 | $150,000 | ||
| May 26, 2024 | 6:34 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 10.5 | 500 | $26,000 | ||
| April 18, 2024 | 5:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 1.1 | 35 | $10,000 | ||
| April 15, 2023 | 7:03 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 1.1 | 90 | |||
| April 15, 2023 | 7:03 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 3.0 | 200 | |||
| April 15, 2023 | 6:59 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.6 | 100 | |||
| April 15, 2023 | 6:34 PM CDT | EF1 | Monroe | 19.6 | 100 | |||
| May 19, 2022 | 5:44 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.2 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| June 12, 2019 | 6:14 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.5 | 10 | $10,000 | ||
| June 13, 2016 | 5:30 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.4 | 25 | |||
| October 13, 2014 | 1:43 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| October 13, 2014 | 1:24 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 1.4 | 100 | |||
| April 22, 2011 | 9:02 PM CDT | EF1 | Saint Clair | 1.8 | 80 | |||
| December 31, 2010 | 12:30 PM CST | EF0 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| June 8, 2009 | 5:30 PM CDT | EF2 | Saint Clair | 11.8 | 176 | |||
| July 21, 2006 | 11:42 AM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 6.0 | 60 | |||
| April 2, 2006 | 5:15 PM CDT | F2 | Saint Clair | 7.0 | 100 | 1 | 11 | |
| June 10, 2003 | 6:10 PM CDT | F0 | Monroe | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| June 10, 2003 | 6:05 PM CDT | F2 | Saint Clair | 3.5 | 150 | 2 | ||
| June 10, 2003 | 5:55 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 3.5 | 75 | |||
| April 27, 2002 | 10:35 PM CDT | F1 | Saint Clair | 1.7 | 100 | |||
| June 24, 2000 | 2:40 PM CDT | F1 | Saint Clair | 6.2 | 100 | 2 | ||
| April 15, 1998 | 7:05 PM CDT | F0 | Monroe | 16.0 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| April 15, 1998 | 6:12 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| April 19, 1996 | 6:20 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 1.5 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| May 18, 1995 | 1:05 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 8.0 | 120 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 18, 1995 | 12:46 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.4 | 73 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 9, 1995 | 5:17 PM CDT | F1 | Saint Clair | 3.0 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| July 4, 1992 | 8:11 PM CDT | F1 | Saint Clair | 6.0 | 500 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| May 11, 1991 | 3:50 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 350 | |||
| May 10, 1991 | 3:55 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| November 26, 1990 | 8:00 PM CST | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.5 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| November 15, 1988 | 10:28 PM CST | F3 | Saint Clair | 9.0 | 200 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| November 15, 1988 | 10:12 PM CST | F2 | Saint Clair | 0.4 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 25, 1984 | 6:40 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| April 3, 1984 | 5:50 PM CST | F0 | Saint Clair | 0.2 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 1, 1983 | 9:10 PM CDT | F2 | Saint Clair | 4.0 | 100 | 20 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| March 20, 1976 | 12:25 PM CST | F2 | Saint Clair | 39.0 | 250 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 4, 1973 | 7:10 PM CDT | F2 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 15, 1968 | 9:45 PM GMT-5 | F3 | Saint Clair | 2.0 | 200 | 4 | 60 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| April 3, 1968 | 6:05 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Monroe | 19.8 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| August 3, 1967 | 3:45 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Saint Clair | 0.5 | 67 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| September 24, 1961 | 4:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Saint Clair | 5.0 | 10 | 1 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| March 29, 1960 | 9:40 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Monroe | 22.3 | 130 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 10, 1959 | 1:10 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Monroe | 3.6 | 50 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 1, 1958 | 1:03 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 50 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 31, 1958 | 12:50 AM GMT-5 | F1 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 10 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| May 3, 1958 | 2:15 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Randolph | 75.9 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 5, 1958 | 2:20 PM GMT-6 | F3 | Saint Clair | 60.5 | 100 | 1 | 8 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
| May 21, 1957 | 4:50 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Monroe | 19.7 | 150 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| April 25, 1957 | 2:30 AM GMT-6 | F2 | Saint Clair | 2.0 | 300 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| September 15, 1956 | 3:30 AM GMT-5 | F2 | Saint Clair | 1.0 | 400 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| February 24, 1956 | 11:45 PM GMT-6 | F4 | Franklin to IL | 77.6 | 500 | 6 | 36 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| October 6, 1955 | 6:05 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| October 6, 1955 | 5:45 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Saint Clair | 15.0 | 50 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| May 24, 1952 | 6:50 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Saint Clair | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Saint Clair CountyThe forecast for Saint Clair CountyThe live radar over Saint Clair 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.