96
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$2.8M
Property damage
Hail in Mercer County, Illinois: 96 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 2.5. That places the county #1,477 nationally and #47 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Hail in Mercer County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for hail in Mercer County is the 2000s, when 39 of the county's 96 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 Mercer County archive, hail makes up 28.2% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,477 for this hazard and #47 within Illinois, putting it in the 52.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for hail in Mercer County with 31 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.
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | SEATON | 1.25 | $0 |
| Mar 28, 2025 | VIOLA | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | SHERRARD | 0.75 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2024 | NORWOOD | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2024 | NORTH HENDERSON | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2024 | CABLE | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 16, 2024 | SHERRARD | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 16, 2024 | ALEDO | 0.88 | $0 |
| Feb 27, 2024 | ALEDO | 1.25 | $0 |
| Feb 27, 2024 | ALEDO | 0.88 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Mercer County
- Thunderstorm Wind 135
- Tornado 45
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Evening thunderstorms produced brief downpours and isolated areas of damage across northwest Illinois. Commonwealth Edison of Sterling reported power outages began at around 1600 CST. Power to the local hospital was lost at around 1700 CST. Numerous trees were down plus minor street flooding. At around 1800 CST 1.5 inches of rain had fallen in a one hour period at Kewanee. This contributed to minor street flooding and stalled cars. Nine hundred residents were reported to be without power after the storm. Some power outages were also reported in Freeport but no damage estimates were provided.
Evening thunderstorms produced brief downpours and isolated areas of damage across northwest Illinois. Commonwealth Edison of Sterling reported power outages began at around 1600 CST. Power to the local hospital was lost at around 1700 CST. Numerous trees were down plus minor street flooding. At around 1800 CST 1.5 inches of rain had fallen in a one hour period at Kewanee. This contributed to minor street flooding and stalled cars. Nine hundred residents were reported to be without power after the storm. Some power outages were also reported in Freeport but no damage estimates were provided.
Evening thunderstorms produced brief downpours and isolated areas of damage across northwest Illinois. Commonwealth Edison of Sterling reported power outages began at around 1600 CST. Power to the local hospital was lost at around 1700 CST. Numerous trees were down plus minor street flooding. At around 1800 CST 1.5 inches of rain had fallen in a one hour period at Kewanee. This contributed to minor street flooding and stalled cars. Nine hundred residents were reported to be without power after the storm. Some power outages were also reported in Freeport but no damage estimates were provided.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many hail events are on record in Mercer County, Illinois?
96 hail events are recorded in Mercer County between 1959 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest hail recorded in Mercer County?
The strongest hail on record in Mercer County measured 2.5.
Where does the hail data for Mercer 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 Mercer County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/mercer-county/hail/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.