Tornadoes · United States · Illinois
Tornadoes in Washington County, Illinois
35 tornadoes have crossed Washington County since 1950, 43rd of the 102 counties in Illinois with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.2 years. They have killed 2 people and injured 4. 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
- 35
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 4
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- EF4, November 17, 2013
The deadliest in Washington County
The strongest
- EF4, Washington County, IllinoisNovember 17, 2013
- F2, Washington, Jefferson and Marion counties, IllinoisMarch 14, 1953
- F2, Saint Clair, Washington and Marion counties, IllinoisMarch 20, 1976
- F2, Saint Clair and Washington counties, IllinoisSeptember 24, 1961
- EF2, Washington County, IllinoisMarch 8, 2009
- EF2, Washington County, IllinoisFebruary 28, 2011
Every year with a tornado
The 20 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Washington County. Each year links to every tornado in Illinois that year.
Every tornado that crossed Washington County
35 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 15, 2023 | 7:33 PM CDT | Unrated | Washington | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| October 24, 2021 | 9:54 PM CDT | EF0 | Washington | 2.0 | 180 | |||
| November 17, 2013 | 12:13 PM CST | EF1 | Washington | 4.8 | 100 | |||
| November 17, 2013 | 12:04 PM CST | EF4 | Washington | 10.6 | 200 | 2 | 2 | |
| September 25, 2012 | 5:23 PM CDT | EF1 | Washington | 4.0 | 100 | 1 | ||
| February 28, 2011 | 12:08 AM CST | EF2 | Washington | 2.3 | 100 | |||
| February 28, 2011 | 12:03 AM CST | EF0 | Washington | 2.8 | 50 | |||
| March 8, 2009 | 12:01 PM CDT | EF0 | Washington | 1.4 | 40 | |||
| March 8, 2009 | 11:56 AM CDT | EF0 | Washington | 2.3 | 50 | |||
| March 8, 2009 | 11:46 AM CDT | EF2 | Washington | 4.3 | 200 | |||
| September 22, 2006 | 4:55 PM CDT | F0 | Washington | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| July 21, 2006 | 12:05 PM CDT | F0 | Washington | 7.0 | 100 | |||
| May 30, 2004 | 6:28 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 18.5 | 75 | $100,000 | ||
| May 30, 2004 | 6:27 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 4.5 | 70 | |||
| May 30, 2004 | 6:26 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 4.0 | 100 | |||
| May 30, 2004 | 6:25 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 3.5 | 80 | |||
| May 30, 2004 | 6:24 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 4.5 | 70 | |||
| June 10, 2003 | 6:35 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 14.0 | 60 | |||
| April 15, 1998 | 7:30 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 2.0 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| April 15, 1998 | 6:32 PM CDT | F0 | Washington | 0.2 | 30 | |||
| May 18, 1995 | 1:28 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 18.0 | 200 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 18, 1995 | 1:26 PM CDT | F0 | Washington | 7.5 | 60 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 18, 1995 | 1:15 PM CDT | F0 | Randolph | 6.0 | 70 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| May 18, 1995 | 1:05 PM CDT | F0 | Saint Clair | 8.0 | 120 | $500 to $5,000 | ||
| March 20, 1976 | 12:25 PM CST | F2 | Saint Clair | 39.0 | 250 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| June 18, 1973 | 9:00 PM CDT | F1 | Washington | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| September 24, 1961 | 4:30 PM GMT-5 | F2 | Saint Clair | 5.0 | 10 | 1 | $5,000 to $50,000 | |
| June 14, 1961 | 5:10 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Washington | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 17, 1960 | 2:00 AM GMT-6 | F1 | Washington | 0.1 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| March 14, 1959 | 10:15 PM GMT-6 | F1 | Washington | 7.7 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| February 10, 1959 | 2:30 AM GMT-6 | F1 | Washington | 29.8 | 10 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 3, 1958 | 2:15 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Randolph | 75.9 | 100 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 29, 1956 | 1:00 AM GMT-6 | F1 | Washington | 21.9 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| October 6, 1955 | 6:15 PM GMT-5 | F1 | Washington | 10.5 | 10 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| March 14, 1953 | 8:15 PM GMT-6 | F2 | Washington | 42.3 | 200 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Washington CountyThe forecast for Washington CountyThe live radar over Washington 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.