58
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$2.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Edwards County, Illinois: 58 recorded events between 1981 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #2,650 nationally and #100 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Edwards County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Edwards County is the 2010s, when 16 of the county's 58 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Edwards County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 38.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #2,650 for this hazard and #100 within Illinois, putting it in the 16.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Edwards County with 15 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 1995 | Countywide | 0 | 2 | 0 | $200K |
| Jul 19, 2012 | WEST SALEM | 61 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
| Jun 13, 1998 | ALBION | 61 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13, 2025 | BROWNS | 78 | $20K |
| Jul 12, 2024 | BROWNS | 52 | $1K |
| May 27, 2024 | ALBION | 61 | $3K |
| Apr 2, 2024 | BROWNS | 61 | $1K |
| Mar 15, 2024 | WEST SALEM | 61 | $10K |
| Jul 2, 2023 | ALBION | 56 | $5K |
| Jul 1, 2023 | ALBION | 56 | $10K |
| Apr 1, 2023 | BROWNS | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2022 | ALBION | 61 | $25K |
| May 25, 2021 | WEST SALEM | 52 | $2K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two fatalities occurred when straight-line winds overturned a tractor-semitrailer into the path of an oncoming automobile. Both drivers were killed instantly. Numerous trees were blown down across the county with widespread power outages.
Widespread major damage occurred across the county. An insurance agent reported over 450 claims to his office alone. The 100-foot tall steeple of an old historic church in West Salem was toppled. The steeple punctured a hole in the roof as it fell. A house in West Salem suffered major damage when a large oak tree fell on it. West Salem firefighters worked through the following day to clear streets of downed trees. Elsewhere in northern Edwards County, a house was partially unroofed. Trees were uprooted, and power lines were down. Numerous grain bins, machine sheds, and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed.
A line of thunderstorms produced damaging winds countywide. The most severe damage appeared to be in southern parts of the county, between Grayville and Albion. Just northwest of Grayville, a residence was partially unroofed, the front porch was blown away, and a nearby shed was destroyed. At a nearby farm, another shed was destroyed, and a pickup truck was blown over. At a farm southwest of Albion, a grain bin was blown into a pond, and an equipment barn was destroyed. Power poles were broken 1 mile south of Browns and near the Richland County line. Along Illinois Route 130, about 10 utility poles were blown down, blocking the highway at the Richland County line. In West Salem, several large branches landed on roofs, and TV antennas and chimneys were damaged. Near Browns, a 60 by 72 foot storage building and its contents were heavily damaged. Other structures were damaged south of Browns.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Edwards County, Illinois?
58 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Edwards County between 1981 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Edwards County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Edwards County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Edwards County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Edwards County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/edwards-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.