67
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
63
Direct injuries
$70.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Madison County, Illinois: 67 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #184 nationally and #11 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Madison County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Madison County is the 2020s, when 13 of the county's 67 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 Madison County archive, tornado makes up 8.0% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #184 for this hazard and #11 within Illinois, putting it in the 93.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Madison County with 17 recorded events, while Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-02-10 | EF4 | 23.9 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-22 | EF4 | 21.3 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1981-04-03 | EF4 | 11.9 mi | 567 yd | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-10 | EF3 | 4.2 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1950-12-02 | EF3 | 18.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-05-31 | EF3 | 10.6 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1988-11-15 | EF3 | 9.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1983-05-01 | EF3 | 16.0 mi | 1,000 yd | Crossed in |
| 1976-07-28 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1950-01-03 | EF3 | 9.5 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2021 | MITCHELL | EF3 | 6 | 1 | $5.0M |
| Apr 4, 1981 | F4 | 0 | 32 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 30, 1960 | F2 | 0 | 17 | $2.5M | |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 0 | 3 | $25.0M | |
| Feb 10, 1960 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Oct 6, 1955 | F1 | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Mar 11, 2026 | MORO | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | CHINATOWN | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2026 | MARINE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | WILLIAMSON | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | MORO | EF1 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | MADISON | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | BLACK JACK | EF0 | $20K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | FAIRMONT | EF1 | $10K |
| Apr 18, 2024 | MARINE | EF0 | $10K |
| Apr 18, 2024 | TROY | EF0 | $5K |
| Apr 18, 2024 | MIDWAY | EF1 | $100K |
| Apr 18, 2024 | STALLINGS | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Madison County
- Thunderstorm Wind 417
- Hail 310
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The 6th and last tornado spawned by the Heavy Precipitation Supercell that moved across the NWS St. Louis, County Warning Area, formed on the east side of Granite City and moved east into south Pontoon Beach. The tornado first damaged an apartment complex near Worthen Park. Two buildings were destroyed with 4 others suffering major to minor damage. Several cars in the parking lot were damaged by flying debris. One person was injured by flying glass. The tornado caused intermittent damage as it moved east across the Legacy Golf Course. Trees were downed and 3 homes suffered roof damage. In southern Pontoon Beach, one house was destroyed as the attached garage was blown away and the entire roof blown off. About 20 other homes/businesses were damaged before the tornado dissipated.
A tornado touched down near Cooper Road, 4.3 miles northeast of Bethalto, damaging the roof on two farm buildings. Then it tracked to the east-northeast crossing Illinois Route 159. In this location, it caused considerable damage to two out buildings as well as trees and fences. It continued to the east northeast for another 2.7 miles before crossing Prairietown Road, causing minor roof damage to a house and major damage to an outbuilding, before lifting and dissipating. Overall, the tornado was rated EF1 (max wind speed of 95 mph) with a path length of 3.14 miles and a max path width of 75 yards. No deaths or injuries were reported.
A small tornado formed near Highland High School causing minor damage, but a lot of shook up people. The tornado passed over the school gymnasium ripping 6 air conditioner units off their bases. Minor damage also occurred to the roof of the gym and to the ceiling of the second story classrooms. The tornado then crossed Route 160 causing some minor damage to farm outbuildings.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Madison County, Illinois?
67 tornado events are recorded in Madison County between 1950 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Madison County?
The strongest tornado on record in Madison County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Madison 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 Madison County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/madison-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.