138
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.0M
Property damage
Hail in Kankakee County, Illinois: 138 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 6.6. That places the county #1,021 nationally and #29 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Hail in Kankakee County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for hail in Kankakee County is the 2000s, when 43 of the county's 138 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 Kankakee County archive, hail makes up 24.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,021 for this hazard and #29 within Illinois, putting it in the 67.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for hail in Kankakee County with 33 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | GRANT PARK | 1 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | KANKAKEE | 6 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | KANKAKEE | 6.1 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | WEST KANKAKEE | 6.6 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | KANKAKEE AIRPORT | 5.2 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | KANKAKEE AIRPORT | 5.2 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | BOURBONNAIS | 4.5 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | HILLSIDE MANOR | 4 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | BONFIELD | 2 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | GRANT PARK | 1 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Kankakee County
- Thunderstorm Wind 282
- Tornado 69
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Hail to the size of tennis balls was reported covering the ground near Main Street and Route 50. School roofs were damaged including heating and cooling units. Two school greenhouses were also damaged. Windows were also broken on some houses and businesses.
High winds and hail damaged windows and a porch. Jersey County Jerseyville,26,1933CST,,,0,0,3,0,Thunderstorm Winds Otterville,26,1933CST,,,0,0,4,0,Thunderstorm Winds Otterville,26,1933CST,,,0,0,3,0,Hail (1.75) The county sheriff reported wind damage to buildings and trees in Jerseyville. Golf ball-size hail also damaged cars in Otterville and high wind caused extensive damage to buildings and trees.
About a dozen hail reports from around Bourbonnais, Bradley, and Kankakee largely ranged between 2 and 4.5 inches in diameter. Numerous houses sustained window, roofing, and siding damage. Numerous vehicles also sustained significant damage from the hail.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many hail events are on record in Kankakee County, Illinois?
138 hail events are recorded in Kankakee County between 1960 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest hail recorded in Kankakee County?
The strongest hail on record in Kankakee County measured 6.6.
Where does the hail data for Kankakee 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
“Hail in Kankakee County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/kankakee-county/hail/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.