Tornadoes · United States · Illinois

Tornadoes in Tazewell County, Illinois

88 tornadoes have crossed Tazewell County since 1950, 15 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 6th of the 102 counties in Illinois with a tornado on record, an average of 1.2 a year. They have killed 3 people and injured 203. 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
88
Deaths
3
Injuries
203
F4 and above
1
Worst on record
EF4, November 17, 2013

The deadliest in Tazewell County

  1. EF4 Washington–Roanoke tornado, IllinoisNovember 17, 20133 killed, 125 injured

The strongest

  1. EF4 Washington–Roanoke tornado, IllinoisNovember 17, 2013EF4, 46.4 mi (75 km)
  2. F3, Mason and Tazewell counties, IllinoisMay 13, 1995F3, 25.0 mi (40 km)
  3. F3, Tazewell County, IllinoisMay 10, 2003F3, 17.5 mi (28 km)
  4. F3, Logan, Tazewell and McLean counties, IllinoisApril 19, 1996F3, 9.4 mi (15 km)
  5. F3, Tazewell County, IllinoisAugust 13, 1956F3, 3.8 mi (6 km)
  6. F2, Mason, Tazewell and McLean counties, IllinoisNovember 13, 1951F2, 47.4 mi (76 km)
  7. F2, Woodford and Tazewell counties, IllinoisMay 10, 2003F2, 12.5 mi (20 km)
  8. EF2, Tazewell County, IllinoisApril 17, 2026EF2, 4.0 mi (6 km)
  9. F2, Woodford and Tazewell counties, IllinoisJanuary 24, 1967F2, 3.3 mi (5 km)
  10. EF2, Tazewell County, IllinoisMarch 7, 2017EF2, 2.8 mi (5 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 41 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Tazewell County. Each year links to every tornado in Illinois that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
202615EF2
20254EF1
20243EF1
20232EF1
20202Unrated
20193EF1
20181EF0
20172EF2
201521EF2
201323135EF4
20101EF2
20083EF1
20061F0
20043F1
2003836F3
20001F1
19991F1
19981F1
199711F0
19961F3
1995227F3
19943F0
19931F1
19921F0
19914F1
199022F2
19871F0
19861F2
19811F1
19801F0
19771F1
19761F1
19752F1
19741F0
19731F0
19691F2
19671F2
19603F2
19561F3
195511F2
19511F2

Every tornado that crossed Tazewell County

88 tornadoes, newest first. The 15 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
March 10, 202612:06 AM CDTEF1Mason10.250
April 3, 20266:00 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.20
April 17, 20268:11 PM CDTEF1Mason15.4200
April 17, 20268:22 PM CDTEF1Tazewell6.3100
April 17, 20268:27 PM CDTEF1Tazewell2.3500
April 17, 20268:27 PM CDTEF1Tazewell2.370$50
April 17, 20268:29 PM CDTEF1Tazewell4.61,100
April 17, 20268:34 PM CDTEF2Tazewell4.01,000
April 17, 20268:36 PM CDTEF0Tazewell8.460
April 17, 20268:37 PM CDTEF1Tazewell10.7300$100
April 17, 20268:41 PM CDTEF1Tazewell12.4300
April 17, 20268:42 PM CDTEF1Tazewell1.0200
April 17, 20268:48 PM CDTEF2Tazewell2.0300$400
June 11, 20266:08 PM CDTEF1Tazewell12.9300
June 21, 20263:35 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.20
December 28, 20259:27 AM CSTEF1Tazewell1.7200
June 18, 20251:56 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.250
April 20, 20258:49 PM CDTEF1Tazewell14.5100
March 19, 20252:49 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.730
July 15, 20248:51 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.980
July 15, 20248:39 PM CDTEF1Woodford1.2100
July 15, 20248:39 PM CDTEF1Tazewell12.2100
March 31, 20233:15 PM CDTEF1Tazewell0.910
March 31, 20232:37 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.310
July 15, 20201:45 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.110
July 15, 20201:37 PM CDTUnratedTazewell0.110
June 15, 201910:19 PM CDTEF1Tazewell2.4200$60,000
May 25, 201911:19 PM CDTEF1Tazewell0.7150
May 25, 201911:14 PM CDTEF1Tazewell1.1200
December 1, 20185:34 PM CSTEF0Tazewell0.150$80,000
March 7, 201712:09 AM CSTEF2Tazewell2.8200$120,000
March 7, 201712:00 AM CSTEF1Tazewell7.4150$175,000
August 18, 20156:09 PM CDTEF0Tazewell2.075$30,000
July 16, 201511:39 PM CDTEF2Tazewell2.42501$1.2 million
November 17, 201310:59 AM CSTEF4Washington–Roanoke tornado46.48803125$935 million
November 17, 201310:52 AM CSTEF2Tazewell2.310010$45 million
June 5, 20108:51 PM CDTEF2Tazewell0.8250$560,000
June 4, 20088:24 PM CDTEF0Tazewell6.1150
June 4, 20088:18 PM CDTEF0Tazewell1.530
January 7, 20085:22 PM CSTEF1Tazewell3.0100$30,000
June 22, 20068:13 AM CDTF0Tazewell0.130
May 30, 20049:37 AM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
May 18, 20045:12 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
May 18, 20045:06 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.350
July 8, 20033:34 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.320$30,000
May 30, 20037:56 PM CDTF1Mason14.0100
May 28, 20033:41 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
May 28, 20033:10 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
May 28, 20032:40 PM CDTF1Woodford3.5100
May 10, 200310:18 PM CDTF2Woodford12.53004
May 10, 200310:16 PM CDTF1Tazewell1.5100
May 10, 20039:45 PM CDTF3Tazewell17.544032$10 million
May 8, 200010:12 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.5100$280,000
June 4, 19994:25 PM CDTF1Tazewell2.5200
June 29, 19984:45 PM CDTF1Tazewell8.5100$1.0 million
April 30, 19973:15 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.5501
April 19, 19966:58 PM CDTF3Logan9.4880$2.0 million
May 13, 19956:15 PM CDTF3Mason25.088025$500,000 to $5 million
May 9, 19956:04 PM CDTF1Tazewell4.02202$500,000 to $5 million
July 20, 19945:45 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.320
July 20, 19945:22 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.320
June 26, 19945:33 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.220
August 23, 19936:45 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.210
May 4, 19922:50 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.130$500 to $5,000
October 4, 19916:09 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.420$50,000 to $500,000
May 31, 19917:42 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.250
May 14, 199111:30 AM CDTF0Tazewell0.120
May 14, 199111:15 AM CDTF0Tazewell0.120
November 27, 19902:13 PM CSTF2Tazewell1.02002$500,000 to $5 million
June 19, 199012:20 AM CDTF1Tazewell1.0100$500,000 to $5 million
June 2, 19872:30 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
September 29, 19863:58 PM CDTF2Tazewell2.050$500,000 to $5 million
June 8, 19818:18 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.110$5,000 to $50,000
September 16, 19806:25 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.817
September 7, 19775:00 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.2143$50,000 to $500,000
March 26, 19769:05 PM CSTF1Tazewell1.5600$50,000 to $500,000
April 30, 19751:13 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
April 18, 19754:20 PM CDTF1Tazewell0.550$5,000 to $50,000
June 19, 19747:30 PM CDTF0Tazewell0.110
September 4, 19731:20 PM CDTF0Tazewell14.610
October 10, 19699:00 PM GMT-5F2Woodford1.0200$50,000 to $500,000
January 24, 19676:30 PM GMT-6F2Woodford3.377$500 to $5,000
May 25, 19604:10 PM GMT-5F2Tazewell0.110$5,000 to $50,000
May 16, 19605:45 PM GMT-5F2Tazewell0.110$5,000 to $50,000
April 16, 196012:05 PM GMT-6F1Tazewell2.760$500 to $5,000
August 13, 19562:15 AM GMT-5F3Tazewell3.827$5,000 to $50,000
May 26, 19553:49 PM GMT-5F2Tazewell1.51001$50,000 to $500,000
November 13, 19511:15 PM GMT-6F2Mason47.450$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

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