65,733
Recorded events
102
Counties covered
1,050
Direct deaths
$6.9B
Property damage
Illinois severe weather history covers 65,733 recorded events across 102 counties between 1950 and 2026.
The Illinois severe weather history record is dominated by thunderstorm wind, which accounts for 32.6% of everything logged statewide across 102 counties. Statewide, recorded events have caused 1,050 direct deaths since 1950.
By hazard type
Illinois severe weather history by hazard
| Hazard | Events | Counties | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 21,416 | 102 | 33 | $615.7M | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 12,202 | 102 | 0 | $229.6M | 1955–2026 |
| Tornado | 3,560 | 102 | 236 | $3.1B | 1950–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 3,229 | 102 | 25 | $2.5B | 1996–2026 |
| Flood | 3,164 | 102 | 30 | $274.9M | 1996–2026 |
| Winter Storm | 2,927 | 0 | 11 | $81.8M | 1996–2026 |
| Winter Weather | 2,917 | 1 | 2 | $1.9M | 1997–2026 |
| Dense Fog | 2,184 | 0 | 0 | $219K | 1997–2026 |
| Heat | 2,030 | 0 | 363 | $25K | 1996–2025 |
| Drought | 1,582 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 1996–2026 |
| Heavy Snow | 1,512 | 0 | 8 | $460K | 1997–2026 |
| Strong Wind | 1,498 | 0 | 6 | $2.8M | 1999–2026 |
| High Wind | 1,300 | 0 | 9 | $37.3M | 1996–2026 |
| Excessive Heat | 1,224 | 0 | 60 | $750K | 2007–2025 |
| Frost/Freeze | 1,143 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2025 |
| Cold/Wind Chill | 903 | 0 | 159 | $8K | 1996–2026 |
| Extreme Cold/Wind Chill | 633 | 0 | 51 | $0 | 2000–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 609 | 66 | 1 | $1.3M | 1996–2026 |
| Ice Storm | 488 | 0 | 1 | $12.7M | 1997–2025 |
| Lightning | 447 | 79 | 20 | $25.7M | 1996–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 301 | 60 | 0 | $0 | 1996–2026 |
| Blizzard | 240 | 0 | 2 | $4.4M | 2000–2026 |
| Sleet | 53 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2003–2022 |
| Dust Storm | 44 | 0 | 8 | $101K | 2011–2026 |
| Freezing Fog | 41 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2009–2025 |
| Rip Current | 23 | 0 | 21 | $0 | 2008–2024 |
| Wildfire | 22 | 5 | 0 | $4.3M | 1996–2025 |
| Lakeshore Flood | 15 | 0 | 0 | $25.3M | 2014–2021 |
| Lake-Effect Snow | 12 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2010–2022 |
| High Surf | 4 | 0 | 4 | $0 | 2025–2026 |
| Seiche | 4 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2004–2024 |
| Waterspout | 2 | 2 | 0 | $0 | 1997–2001 |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 0 | 0 | $50K | 2003–2003 |
| Coastal Flood | 2 | 0 | 0 | $0 | 2018–2019 |
County index
Most active counties
| County | Events | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 2,633 | 57 |
| Will County | 1,250 | 38 |
| DuPage County | 970 | 7 |
| Sangamon County | 943 | 5 |
| Kane County | 907 | 1 |
| St. Clair County | 895 | 14 |
| Champaign County | 840 | 2 |
| Madison County | 839 | 6 |
| McLean County | 760 | 0 |
| LaSalle County | 753 | 11 |
| Tazewell County | 729 | 3 |
| Peoria County | 712 | 2 |
| Winnebago County | 692 | 3 |
| Vermilion County | 691 | 1 |
| Henry County | 679 | 2 |
| McHenry County | 654 | 7 |
| Lake County | 641 | 3 |
| Rock Island County | 629 | 4 |
| Fulton County | 617 | 4 |
| McDonough County | 592 | 0 |
| Jackson County | 578 | 13 |
| Kankakee County | 562 | 4 |
| Macon County | 562 | 1 |
| Whiteside County | 557 | 0 |
| Logan County | 551 | 2 |
Full index
Every county in Illinois
- Cook County
- Will County
- DuPage County
- Sangamon County
- Kane County
- St. Clair County
- Champaign County
- Madison County
- McLean County
- LaSalle County
- Tazewell County
- Peoria County
- Winnebago County
- Vermilion County
- Henry County
- McHenry County
- Lake County
- Rock Island County
- Fulton County
- McDonough County
- Jackson County
- Kankakee County
- Macon County
- Whiteside County
- Logan County
- Macoupin County
- Stephenson County
- Adams County
- Hancock County
- Bureau County
- DeKalb County
- Ogle County
- Jo Daviess County
- Christian County
- Woodford County
- Franklin County
- Iroquois County
- Randolph County
- Livingston County
- Coles County
- Montgomery County
- White County
- Knox County
- Lee County
- Effingham County
- Marion County
- Williamson County
- Carroll County
- Morgan County
- Kendall County
- Clay County
- Clinton County
- Grundy County
- Mercer County
- Alexander County
- Jefferson County
- Washington County
- Pike County
- Saline County
- Monroe County
- Perry County
- Wayne County
- Shelby County
- Warren County
- Massac County
- Edgar County
- Crawford County
- Lawrence County
- Wabash County
- Mason County
- Boone County
- Douglas County
- Fayette County
- De Witt County
- Marshall County
- Menard County
- Ford County
- Jersey County
- Pulaski County
- Gallatin County
- Piatt County
- Johnson County
- Clark County
- Jasper County
- Union County
- Henderson County
- Bond County
- Schuyler County
- Richland County
- Cass County
- Greene County
- Moultrie County
- Putnam County
- Cumberland County
- Hamilton County
- Pope County
- Scott County
- Stark County
- Edwards County
- Brown County
- Calhoun County
- Hardin County
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events are recorded in Illinois?
65,733 events are on record across Illinois, covering 102 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Which county in Illinois has the most severe weather on record?
Cook County leads Illinois with 2,633 recorded events. Ranking reflects reported events, so densely populated counties tend to report more than sparsely populated ones.
Where does the Illinois severe weather history data come from?
Totals are aggregated from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of United States severe weather reports, with FEMA and U.S. Census records providing risk and population context. Dates are UTC and recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Illinois Severe Weather History.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/state/illinois/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.