Tornadoes · United States · Illinois

Tornadoes in Sangamon County, Illinois

92 tornadoes have crossed Sangamon County since 1950, 3rd of the 102 counties in Illinois with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 4 people and injured 101. 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
4
Injuries
101
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
F4, June 14, 1957

The deadliest in Sangamon County

  1. F4, Sangamon County, IllinoisJune 14, 19572 killed, 50 injured
  2. F1, Morgan, Cass, Menard and Sangamon counties, IllinoisApril 8, 19991 killed, 6 injured
  3. F3, Sangamon and Macon counties, IllinoisApril 22, 19631 killed, 5 injured

The strongest

  1. F4, Sangamon County, IllinoisJune 14, 1957F4, 4.3 mi (7 km)
  2. F3, Sangamon, Menard and Logan counties, IllinoisMay 9, 1995F3, 50.0 mi (80 km)
  3. F3, Sangamon and Macon counties, IllinoisApril 22, 1963F3, 42.9 mi (69 km)
  4. EF3, Sangamon and Logan counties, IllinoisAugust 19, 2009EF3, 24.3 mi (39 km)
  5. F3, Sangamon County, IllinoisJuly 26, 1978F3, 8.9 mi (14 km)
  6. F3, Sangamon County, IllinoisAugust 6, 1977F3, 4.1 mi (7 km)
  7. F2, Cass and Sangamon counties, IllinoisJune 23, 1960F2, 34.9 mi (56 km)
  8. EF2, Sangamon and Christian counties, IllinoisAugust 6, 2023EF2, 25.3 mi (41 km)
  9. EF2, Sangamon and Logan counties, IllinoisMarch 31, 2023EF2, 21.0 mi (34 km)
  10. EF2, Morgan and Sangamon counties, IllinoisAugust 19, 2009EF2, 19.1 mi (31 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 37 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Sangamon County. Each year links to every tornado in Illinois that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20251EF1
20235EF2
20213Unrated
20204EF1
20191EF1
20181EF1
20161EF1
20142EF1
2009424EF3
20081EF1
20071EF0
2006105F2
20043F1
20037F0
20003F0
1999116F1
19982F0
19962F0
199516F3
19931F1
19902F1
19881F2
19862F0
19851F0
19811F0
19801F2
19781F3
197717F3
197521F2
19731F0
19641F2
1963115F3
19621F2
19611F1
196021F2
19572250F4
195413F1

Every tornado that crossed Sangamon County

92 tornadoes, newest first.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 18, 202512:25 PM CDTEF1Sangamon7.4200
August 6, 20236:09 PM CDTEF2Sangamon25.3450
June 29, 202312:12 PM CDTEF2Sangamon9.1800
March 31, 20236:18 PM CDTEF2Sangamon21.0200
March 31, 20236:12 PM CDTEF2Sangamon5.4400
January 3, 20233:52 PM CSTUnratedSangamon0.110
May 3, 20216:14 PM CDTUnratedSangamon0.650
May 3, 20216:10 PM CDTUnratedSangamon0.450
May 3, 20215:27 PM CDTUnratedSangamon0.350
July 21, 20204:05 PM CDTEF1Sangamon4.4100$300,000
July 15, 20205:18 PM CDTEF0Sangamon4.5300
July 15, 20204:28 PM CDTEF0Morgan4.150$20,000
April 28, 20206:56 PM CDTEF0Sangamon2.1100$100,000
May 22, 201912:15 AM CDTEF1Menard15.3150
December 1, 20186:16 PM CSTEF1Sangamon4.6100$225,000
March 15, 20167:44 PM CDTEF1Sangamon3.675$280,000
February 20, 20143:57 PM CSTEF1Sangamon8.3300$990,000
February 20, 20143:43 PM CSTEF0Sangamon0.275$30,000
August 19, 20093:19 PM CDTEF3Sangamon24.388019$18 million
August 19, 20093:17 PM CDTEF1Sangamon12.9200$200,000
August 19, 20092:46 PM CDTEF2Morgan19.14403$4.1 million
March 8, 200911:32 AM CDTEF1Sangamon5.12002$610,000
May 30, 20087:17 PM CDTEF1Morgan4.8100$192,000
September 6, 20076:28 PM CDTEF0Sangamon0.110
April 2, 20066:13 PM CDTF1Sangamon1.51001
April 2, 20066:06 PM CDTF1Sangamon0.850
April 2, 20065:59 PM CDTF0Sangamon1.350
April 2, 20065:58 PM CDTF1Sangamon1.0100
April 2, 20065:56 PM CDTF1Sangamon1.0100
April 2, 20065:49 PM CDTF1Sangamon2.0100
April 2, 20065:46 PM CDTF1Sangamon0.5200
March 12, 20068:32 PM CSTF2Sangamon12.52004
March 12, 20068:24 PM CSTF2Sangamon4.0400
March 12, 20067:58 PM CSTF1Morgan12.0440
August 26, 20046:09 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
May 24, 200412:09 AM CDTF1Sangamon0.375
May 23, 20047:27 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
June 11, 20036:22 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
June 11, 20036:20 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
May 10, 20037:58 AM CDTF0Sangamon1.030$40,000
May 10, 20037:55 AM CDTF0Sangamon0.220
May 10, 20037:53 AM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
May 9, 20037:40 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.320
March 19, 20031:25 PM CSTF0Sangamon0.110
June 20, 20007:44 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.2150$1,000
May 12, 20004:30 PM CDTF0Sangamon2.050
April 20, 20009:05 AM CDTF0Sangamon0.320
April 8, 19998:45 PM CDTF1Morgan9.333316$1.8 million
June 29, 19985:36 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.540$130,000
June 29, 19985:30 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.130
May 27, 199610:45 PM CDTF0Sangamon2.540
April 19, 19966:32 PM CDTF0Sangamon4.0330$250,000
May 9, 19955:22 PM CDTF3Sangamon50.08806$5 million to $50 million
June 8, 19935:30 PM CDTF1Sangamon5.0100
June 20, 19901:15 AM CDTF1Sangamon0.2100$5,000 to $50,000
June 2, 19905:30 PM CDTF1Sangamon8.0200$5,000 to $50,000
May 8, 19886:18 PM CDTF2Sangamon0.150$50,000 to $500,000
May 16, 19865:25 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.210
May 16, 19865:20 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.210
July 14, 198512:44 AM CDTF0Sangamon0.210$5,000 to $50,000
June 8, 19819:40 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
July 10, 19806:00 AM CDTF2Sangamon1.517$50,000 to $500,000
July 26, 19784:30 PM CDTF3Sangamon8.9177$50,000 to $500,000
August 6, 19775:10 PM CDTF1Sangamon3.390
August 6, 19774:57 PM CDTF1Sangamon2.250$50,000 to $500,000
August 6, 19774:53 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.210
August 6, 19774:51 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.217
August 6, 19774:50 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.650
August 6, 19774:47 PM CDTF1Sangamon3.6150
August 6, 19774:45 PM CDTF3Sangamon4.1100$500,000 to $5 million
August 6, 19774:45 PM CDTF1Sangamon5.930
August 6, 19774:38 PM CDTF1Sangamon6.233$5,000 to $50,000
August 6, 19774:37 PM CDTF1Sangamon1.050
August 6, 19774:36 PM CDTF1Sangamon1.3350
August 6, 19774:36 PM CDTF2Sangamon2.3350
August 6, 19774:35 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.810
August 6, 19774:35 PM CDTF0Sangamon1.923
August 6, 19774:30 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.8350
August 6, 19774:30 PM CDTF1Sangamon6.160
August 6, 19774:25 PM CDTF1Sangamon7.860
November 29, 197511:20 PM CSTF1Sangamon4.32001$50,000 to $500,000
August 14, 19756:58 PM CDTF2Sangamon1.030$5,000 to $50,000
June 16, 19739:58 PM CDTF0Sangamon0.110
April 2, 19646:45 PM GMT-6F2Sangamon4.577$5,000 to $50,000
April 22, 19635:30 PM GMT-6F3Sangamon42.91015$50,000 to $500,000
May 26, 19626:30 AM GMT-5F2Sangamon0.110$500 to $5,000
May 14, 196111:10 PM GMT-5F1Sangamon4.910$50,000 to $500,000
June 23, 19603:30 AM GMT-5F2Cass34.91001$50,000 to $500,000
May 6, 19602:05 PM GMT-5F1Greene43.550$50,000 to $500,000
June 14, 19573:00 PM GMT-5F4Sangamon4.3220250$500,000 to $5 million
May 13, 195712:00 PM GMT-5F1Sangamon0.110$50 to $500
March 12, 19546:00 PM GMT-6F1Menard38.6103$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Sangamon CountyThe forecast for Sangamon CountyThe live radar over Sangamon 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.