Clay County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Clay County, IL right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 799 alerts that included Clay County, roughly 80 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (125 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on September 21, 2026. 19 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Clay County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Richland County, Fayette County, Effingham County, Marion County.
Clay County alert history
Alert events that included Clay County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 125 | 30 | July 27, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 123 | 7 | June 22, 2026 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 93 | 6 | June 28, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 65 | 7 | July 26, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 53 | 4 | June 17, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 43 | 6 | June 25, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 37 | 0 | December 11, 2025 |
| Tornado Watch | 36 | 7 | June 21, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 34 | 0 | April 12, 2025 |
| Heat Advisory | 34 | 10 | September 16, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 32 | 10 | July 27, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 23 | 3 | October 18, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 20 | 4 | July 27, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 17 | 15 | September 21, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 13 | 0 | October 24, 2025 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 12 | 5 | January 28, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 9 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 7 | 3 | September 2, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 6 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Extreme Heat Watch | 4 | 0 | July 23, 2025 |
| High Wind Warning | 4 | 0 | September 27, 2024 |
| High Wind Watch | 3 | 0 | February 9, 2023 |
| Red Flag Warning | 3 | 0 | March 19, 2025 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 1 | 0 | January 30, 2019 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 1 | 0 | October 17, 2020 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 1 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
Tornado history in Clay County
19 tornadoes have been recorded in Clay County since 1950, injuring 16 people. That ranks 76 of 102 counties in Illinois. The most recent was on May 26, 2024 (rated EF2).
Strongest tornadoes in Clay County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2, 1990 | F4 | Wayne County | 23 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 2 |
| December 18, 1957 | F3 | Wayne County | 19.6 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 1 |
| April 15, 1998 | F2 | Clay County | 16 mi | 130 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 15, 1998 | F2 | Clay County | 9.5 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 8 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | Marion County | 8.3 mi | 500 yd | 0 | 0 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | Marion County | 8.3 mi | 500 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 2021 | EF0 | Clay County | 2.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 2021 | ? | Clay County | 0.2 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 23, 2019 | EF0 | Clay County | 0.7 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF1 | Clay County | 1 mi | 75 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Clay County
- Population: 12,821 (2024 estimate)
- State: Illinois
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 017025 (how to use it)