64
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
49
Direct injuries
$9.5M
Property damage
Tornado in LaSalle County, Illinois: 64 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #203 nationally and #12 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in LaSalle County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in LaSalle County is the 2010s, when 24 of the county's 64 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 LaSalle County archive, tornado makes up 8.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #203 for this hazard and #12 within Illinois, putting it in the 93.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in LaSalle County with 22 recorded events, while Jan 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 | EF4 | 46.4 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-04-20 | EF3 | 15.8 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2017-02-28 | EF3 | 11.5 mi | 800 yd | Touched down here |
| 1951-12-06 | EF3 | 21.9 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 2017-02-28 | EF3 | 17.8 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1977-06-30 | EF3 | 6.1 mi | 850 yd | Touched down here |
| 1972-07-17 | EF3 | 81.5 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2017-02-28 | EF2 | 5.6 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2016-06-22 | EF2 | 8.1 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 17.6 mi | 800 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2004 | PERU | F3 | 8 | 7 | $0 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | UTICA AIRPARK ARPT | EF3 | 2 | 14 | $0 |
| Jun 6, 2010 | EAST WENONA | EF2 | 0 | 17 | $7.0M |
| Jul 10, 1985 | F2 | 0 | 8 | $250K | |
| May 8, 1988 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jul 15, 1972 | F0 | 0 | 1 | $3K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | PETERSTOWN | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | LEEDS | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | LEEDS | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2023 | CATHARINE | EFU | $0 |
| May 8, 2023 | SERENA | EFU | $0 |
| Oct 11, 2021 | TRIUMPH | EFU | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2020 | OTTAWA | EF1 | $0 |
| May 31, 2018 | (MMO)MARSEILLES | EF0 | $0 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | RUTLAND | EF2 | $0 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | RUTLAND | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from LaSalle County
- Thunderstorm Wind 390
- Hail 175
- Flood 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The first area of significant damage in the EF2 range was in the area around the La Salle County Nursing Home and La Salle County Highway Department, with lighter damage upstream from this location. The tornado continued into Naplate and produced widespread EF2 damage to numerous homes. EF3 damage also was identified in two locations. The first was where a minivan was thrown about 30 yards and a home was lifted off its foundation and left with only its interior walls intact. The second was at the Pilkington Glass plant where one section of the factory was completely destroyed. The tornado then crossed the Illinois River and moved through the south side of Ottawa, producing an 800 yard wide path of EF1 damage to trees and homes. The fatalities in Ottawa occurred from a tree falling onto two men who were working outside. The tornado then crossed the Illinois River again and continued to produce EF1 and EF0 damage as it exited Ottawa, finally dissipating in the area northwest of Marseilles. (Tornado #2 of 7).
An aerial survey from local media showed clear convergent swirling and scarring near Earlville. A short lived tornado touched down embedded within a larger area of straight line wind damage. Numerous trees were blown down with damage to roofs and a garage blown out on the south and southwest portions of town. Maximum winds were estimated to 110 mph.
This is a continuation of a tornado that began in Tazewell County (NWS Central Illinois) and tracked across Woodford County, entering NWS Chicago county warning area in La Salle County, and finally ending in Livingston County. The tornado entered La Salle County approximately half a mile east of State Route 251 north of Minonk where several power poles were snapped at the base along County Line Road. On E 7th Road, a home had large portions of the roof removed. Small outbuildings were completely destroyed. More power poles were snapped on E 8th Road and again on N 2nd Road near the intersection of E 10th Road. A machinery shed was completely destroyed on N 2nd Road about half a mile west of Dana. On E 11th Road just north of Dana, an addition to a home was completely leveled with several outbuildings destroyed. This tornado entered Livingston County just northeast of Dana around 11:41 AM CST. Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be up to 135 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in LaSalle County, Illinois?
64 tornado events are recorded in LaSalle County between 1955 and 2026, causing 10 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in LaSalle County?
The strongest tornado on record in LaSalle County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for LaSalle 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
“Tornado in LaSalle County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/lasalle-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.