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Tornadoes in Illinois

Illinois has recorded 3,108 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 63.5 per year over the last 30 years. They killed 232 people and injured 4,655. May is the most active month.

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Map data: NWS, OpenFreeMap, OpenStreetMap

Tornadoes per year

96: 62966297: 32973298: 99989999: 62996200: 55005501: 21012102: 37023703: 1190311904: 80048005: 21052106: 1190611907: 22072208: 48084809: 52095210: 52105211: 72117212: 33123313: 52135214: 53145315: 68156816: 45164517: 49174918: 55185519: 48194820: 63206321: 73217322: 35223523: 1182311824: 1392413925: 12125121
Illinois tornadoes per year, 1996–2025
50s: 18550s18560s: 20160s20170s: 36170s36180s: 22380s22390s: 48890s48800s: 57400s57410s: 52710s52720s: 54920s549
Tornadoes per decade (the 2020s are partial)

When tornadoes happen in Illinois

Jan: 40Jan40Feb: 76Feb76Mar: 228Mar228Apr: 609Apr609May: 661May661Jun: 619Jun619Jul: 289Jul289Aug: 230Aug230Sep: 93Sep93Oct: 63Oct63Nov: 99Nov99Dec: 101Dec101
Tornadoes by month, 1950–2025
EF0: 1,360EF01,360EF1: 1,043EF11,043EF2: 437EF2437EF3: 109EF3109EF4: 30EF430EF5: 2EF52
Tornadoes by (E)F rating

Ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita (F) scale; later tornadoes use the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. How the EF scale works.

Deadliest tornadoes in Illinois

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
April 21, 1967F4Cook County15 mi200 yd33500
August 28, 1990F5Kendall County16.4 mi600 yd29350
April 21, 1967F4Boone County25.5 mi1,200 yd24450
December 18, 1957F4Jackson County28.3 mi300 yd11200
May 29, 1982F4Williamson County17 mi400 yd10181
February 29, 2012EF4Saline County26.1 mi325 yd8108
April 20, 2004F3Putnam County15.8 mi880 yd812
April 11, 1965F4McHenry County9.1 mi400 yd675
August 21, 1977F3Shelby County26.9 mi77 yd656
December 10, 2021EF3Madison County4.2 mi300 yd61

Strongest tornadoes in Illinois

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
August 28, 1990F5Kendall County16.4 mi600 yd29350
December 18, 1957F5Perry County5.4 mi200 yd16
April 21, 1967F4Cook County15 mi200 yd33500
April 21, 1967F4Boone County25.5 mi1,200 yd24450
December 18, 1957F4Jackson County28.3 mi300 yd11200
May 29, 1982F4Williamson County17 mi400 yd10181
February 29, 2012EF4Saline County26.1 mi325 yd8108
April 11, 1965F4McHenry County9.1 mi400 yd675
November 17, 2013EF4Tazewell County46.4 mi880 yd3125
May 6, 2003F4Pulaski County33 mi1,000 yd233

Most recent tornadoes

DateRatingCountyPath lengthWidthDeathsInjuries
December 28, 2025EF0Edgar County0.2 mi30 yd00
December 28, 2025?Iroquois County4.9 mi25 yd00
December 28, 2025EF0Iroquois County3.4 mi75 yd00
December 28, 2025EF1Iroquois County9.5 mi150 yd00
December 28, 2025EF0Iroquois County2.6 mi100 yd00
December 28, 2025EF0Ford County0.9 mi20 yd00
December 28, 2025EF1McLean County0.9 mi30 yd00
December 28, 2025EF2Christian County23.4 mi250 yd00
December 28, 2025EF1Livingston County1 mi125 yd00
December 28, 2025EF1Tazewell County1.7 mi200 yd00

Counties with the most tornadoes

CountyTornadoes since 1950Per 1,000 sq mi
McLean County122267100591.7
Will County96297416267.9
Sangamon County92274516129
Cook County87238444444.4
Champaign County86223634538.2
Macon County79352168674.7
Logan County73305938511.3
Tazewell County73292678018.6
Henry County71223438639.1
Vermilion County70201893095.8
LaSalle County66150607929.5
St. Clair County59232234042.6
Christian County58211875881.5
Madison County58209804469.3
Iroquois County58134485228.3
Kankakee County56214556213
Woodford County54264886363.6
Livingston County54133965517.2
Montgomery County51187627840.9
Fulton County50149538106.2

About this data

Tornado records come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center database of confirmed tornadoes, 1950–2025. Tornadoes that crossed state lines are counted in the state where they began. Counts in the early decades are lower partly because many weak tornadoes went unreported before Doppler radar and storm spotter networks.