73
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
195
Direct injuries
$983.6M
Property damage
Tornado in Tazewell County, Illinois: 73 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #145 nationally and #7 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Tazewell County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Tazewell County is the 1990s, when 17 of the county's 73 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 Tazewell County archive, tornado makes up 10.0% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #145 for this hazard and #7 within Illinois, putting it in the 95.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for tornado in Tazewell County with 21 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 | EF4 | 46.4 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-10 | EF3 | 17.5 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-19 | EF3 | 9.4 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-13 | EF3 | 25.0 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1956-08-13 | EF3 | 3.8 mi | 27 yd | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-07 | EF2 | 2.8 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2015-07-16 | EF2 | 2.4 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF2 | 2.3 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 0.8 mi | 250 yd | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-10 | EF2 | 12.5 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2013 | MARQUETTE HGTS | EF4 | 3 | 121 | $910.0M |
| May 11, 2003 | SOUTH PEKIN | F3 | 0 | 32 | $10.0M |
| May 13, 1995 | Tremont | F3 | 0 | 25 | $4.0M |
| Nov 17, 2013 | PEKIN | EF2 | 0 | 10 | $45.0M |
| May 9, 1995 | South Pekin | F1 | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| Nov 27, 1990 | F2 | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 17, 2015 | DELAVAN | EF2 | 0 | 1 | $1.2M |
| Apr 30, 1997 | PEKIN | F0 | 0 | 1 | $115K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | WINKEL | EF1 | $0 |
| Dec 28, 2025 | LESLIE | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | FRAVERT | EFU | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | TREMONT | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | PARKLAND | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | DEER CREEK | EFU | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | HARVARD HILLS | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | CLOVERDALE | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | DEER CREEK | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | PARKLAND | EFU | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Tazewell County
- Thunderstorm Wind 381
- Hail 230
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado crossed the Illinois River from Peoria County at 10:53 AM CST. It tracked through the northwest side of Pekin before lifting 2 miles northeast of Pekin at 10:54 AM CST. Approximately 179 houses and 6 businesses suffered major damage, while 182 houses experienced minor roof damage. In addition, 3 apartment buildings lost their roofs, a power substation had minor damage, and hundreds of cars were damaged. Ten people were injured.
This long track tornado first touched down 3 miles southwest of South Pekin and traveled to the northeast. It destroyed several homes before reaching the eastern sections of South Pekin where it intensified to F3 strength. The tornado destroyed 50 homes, caused minor to major damage on an additional 80 homes before exiting the town. As the tornado approached Morton, it weakened briefly but quickly intensified again as it crossed the intersection of I-74 and I-155. When it crossed the highways, 8 vehicles were damaged and one injury was sustained when a car was overturned by the tornado as it crossed I-74. It destroyed several three story apartment buildings and severely damaged several others in the complex. A couple of businesses in the area were destroyed as well. It then moved through several subdivisions, damaging over 100 homes, some severely. The tornado eventually weakened and lifted 2.5 miles north of Morton. In all, 32 people were injured by the tornado, three seriously, but they have since recovered.
A tornado touched down along the Illinois River (3 NE of Goofy Ridge) and traveled to the northeast for 25 miles before lifting and dissipating in Tremont (Tazwell County). The tornado damaged or destroyed over 36 homes and mobile homes in Mason County and injured 23 people. Numerous trees were blown down, especially in the Sand Ridge State Forest, as well as, numerous power poles. In Tazwell County, 25 homes were either damaged or destroyed (seven homes were destroyed in a subdivision 1 S of South Pekin were two people suffered minor injuries). Numerous silos and machine sheds were destroyed. Damage was estimated around $4 million.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Tazewell County, Illinois?
73 tornado events are recorded in Tazewell County between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Tazewell County?
The strongest tornado on record in Tazewell County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Tazewell 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 Tazewell County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/tazewell-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.