21,416
Recorded events
102
Counties affected
33
Direct deaths
$615.7M
Property damage
Illinois thunderstorm wind history: 21,416 recorded events across 102 counties between 1955 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Illinois thunderstorm wind history by decade
The 2000s are the busiest decade on record with 5,542 reported thunderstorm wind events across Illinois. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most thunderstorm wind events in Illinois
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cook County | 1,384 | 11 | $17.2M | 1955–2026 |
| #2 | Will County | 564 | 0 | $3.7M | 1956–2026 |
| #3 | Kane County | 540 | 0 | $1.3M | 1959–2026 |
| #4 | DuPage County | 496 | 4 | $5.9M | 1963–2026 |
| #5 | St. Clair County | 457 | 1 | $1.6M | 1957–2026 |
| #6 | Sangamon County | 450 | 0 | $5.1M | 1955–2026 |
| #7 | Champaign County | 443 | 0 | $7.6M | 1956–2026 |
| #8 | Madison County | 417 | 0 | $2.6M | 1958–2026 |
| #9 | LaSalle County | 390 | 0 | $593K | 1960–2026 |
| #10 | Peoria County | 390 | 1 | $5.5M | 1955–2025 |
| #11 | Tazewell County | 381 | 0 | $5.5M | 1960–2026 |
| #12 | Vermilion County | 368 | 0 | $17.8M | 1955–2026 |
| #13 | McHenry County | 351 | 0 | $581K | 1960–2026 |
| #14 | Winnebago County | 342 | 2 | $5.6M | 1960–2026 |
| #15 | McLean County | 342 | 0 | $9.3M | 1958–2026 |
| #16 | DeKalb County | 314 | 0 | $1.3M | 1957–2026 |
| #17 | Henry County | 304 | 2 | $51.8M | 1955–2026 |
| #18 | Rock Island County | 301 | 0 | $1.4M | 1955–2025 |
| #19 | Lake County | 299 | 1 | $5.9M | 1960–2026 |
| #20 | Fulton County | 298 | 0 | $2.9M | 1961–2026 |
| #21 | Logan County | 287 | 0 | $7.6M | 1956–2026 |
| #22 | Macon County | 285 | 0 | $5.7M | 1958–2026 |
| #23 | Kankakee County | 282 | 1 | $2.2M | 1957–2026 |
| #24 | Whiteside County | 273 | 0 | $1.0M | 1962–2026 |
| #25 | Stephenson County | 261 | 0 | $4.8M | 1956–2026 |
Significant events
Deadliest thunderstorm wind events in Illinois
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1991 | Cook County | — | 2 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 2015 | DuPage County | — | 2 | 19 |
| May 18, 1995 | Edwards County | — | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 21, 2008 | Henry County | — | 2 | 4 |
| Jun 18, 2010 | Cook County | — | 1 | 2 |
| May 8, 2009 | Jackson County | — | 1 | 6 |
| Jun 21, 2019 | Pulaski County | — | 1 | 1 |
| Jul 11, 2011 | Cook County | — | 1 | 0 |
| May 10, 2015 | Jefferson County | — | 1 | 0 |
| Nov 15, 1989 | St. Clair County | — | 1 | 20 |