122
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$2.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Massac County, Illinois: 122 recorded events between 1980 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,913 nationally and #73 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Massac County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Massac County is the 2010s, when 39 of the county's 122 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 Massac County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 40.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,913 for this hazard and #73 within Illinois, putting it in the 39.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Massac County with 27 recorded events, while Dec 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 30, 1987 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jun 9, 1995 | Countywide | 65 | 0 | 5 | $250K |
| May 5, 1996 | JOPPA | 0 | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| Jan 22, 1999 | METROPOLIS | 0 | 0 | 1 | $40K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2025 | CHOAT | 52 | $1K |
| May 16, 2025 | METROPOLIS | 52 | $5K |
| Mar 30, 2025 | GRINNELL | 76 | $5K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | BROOKPORT | 70 | $1K |
| Aug 16, 2024 | HILLERMAN | 65 | $5K |
| May 8, 2024 | JOPPA | 61 | $6K |
| Apr 2, 2024 | NEW COLUMBIA | 61 | $15K |
| Jul 29, 2023 | JOPPA | 52 | $4K |
| Jul 20, 2023 | JOPPA | 49 | $25K |
| Jul 18, 2023 | METROPOLIS | 56 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Massac County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous trees were blown down and widespread minor roof damage occurred, mainly in the southern part of the county. Between Metropolis and Brookport, a large metal shed was blown apart, and a tree landed on a house. The house roof sustained minor to moderate damage. In Metropolis, a window was blown out of a downtown museum. A portion of the roof was blown off a Metropolis city business, and a shed was destroyed. There were numerous reports of downed tree limbs on Metropolis city streets and some county roads. The west part of Metropolis was without power. One tree fell onto a house in Brookport. The house was heavily damaged, and the family was displaced. A mobile home was partially unroofed in Brookport.
A microburst with wind speeds of 60-70 mph damaged a one-block area at 4th and Ferry Streets in downtown Metropolis. One brick wall of a large commercial structure crumbled, and the roof was damaged. The structure, which was built in 1867, was damaged beyond repair and torn down. An adjacent store suffered roof damage. A building across the street received some roof damage, and a window was blown out. A nearby church received roof damage. A carport was blown into a church.
Numerous trees were downed across roads, houses, cars, and power lines. Some roads were blocked. Two people sustained bumps and bruises at an outdoor festival in Metropolis when a large tent was blown away. Winds estimated between 70 and 80 mph across much of the county downed power poles, power lines, and trees. Just northeast of Metropolis, a barn roof was blown off, and the doors were blown in. An historic gazebo in Fort Washington Park was destroyed. Shingles were ripped off buildings and awnings were blown off in Metropolis. Sheet metal roofs were blown off sheds near Metropolis. At the Massac County High School, a building under construction was destroyed, and the football scoreboard was blown over. Power was out 22 to 24 hours in parts of the county. At the outdoor festival in Metropolis, mobile homes were blown off blocks, tents were blown away, and a carnival ride was damaged. About 15 vendors lost all their merchandise being sold from tents. Two miles north of Metropolis, a tree fell on a passing car, and three people were taken to a local hospital.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Massac County, Illinois?
122 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Massac County between 1980 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Massac County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Massac County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Massac 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 Massac County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/massac-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.