98
Recorded events
34
Direct deaths
490
Direct injuries
$350.3M
Property damage
Tornado in Will County, Illinois: 98 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F5. That places the county #53 nationally and #2 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Will County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Will County is the 2020s, when 27 of the county's 98 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 Will County archive, tornado makes up 7.8% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #53 for this hazard and #2 within Illinois, putting it in the 98.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Will County with 23 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-08-28 | EF5 | 16.4 mi | 600 yd | Crossed in |
| 1979-06-29 | EF4 | 5.4 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-27 | EF3 | 9.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2015-06-22 | EF3 | 16.3 mi | 1,320 yd | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-27 | EF3 | 15.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF3 | 22.6 mi | 30 yd | Crossed in |
| 1972-07-17 | EF3 | 81.5 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1961-04-23 | EF3 | 51.7 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-11-12 | EF2 | 35.9 mi | 120 yd | Crossed in |
| 1972-04-06 | EF2 | 6.8 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1990 | F5 | 29 | 350 | $250.0M | |
| Nov 12, 1965 | F2 | 2 | 90 | $25.0M | |
| Apr 7, 1972 | F2 | 1 | 22 | $250K | |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F3 | 1 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 25, 1978 | F1 | 1 | 0 | $250K | |
| Jun 7, 2008 | MONEE | EF2 | 0 | 6 | $5.5M |
| Apr 23, 1961 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| May 9, 1988 | F1 | 0 | 3 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 2025 | STEGER | EF1 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | LINCOLN ESTATES | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | NEW LENOX | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | PRESTON HEIGHTS | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | EAGLE LAKE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | PEOTONE | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | MOKENA | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | CHANNAHON | EF2 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | MINOOKA | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2024 | SHOREWOOD | EF0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Will County
- Thunderstorm Wind 564
- Hail 358
- Flood 88
- Flash Flood 65
- Lightning 41
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado developed near Ridgeland Avenue and Dralle Road, where a high tension metal truss tower collapsed and four others were damaged. Power lines blocked Interstate 57. The tornado destroyed a mobile home and outbuildings east of Ridgeland between Dralle and Stuenkel Roads before crossing Interstate 57. The tornado was rated EF2 in this area. Six people were injured in vehicles on Interstate 57. Several cars were damaged and a semi trailer was completely destroyed. East of Interstate 57 at Stuenkel Road, a large warehouse had bay doors blown in, much of the roof collapsed, and the west wall blown in. Utility poles were pushed over along South Central Avenue.
The tornado swept out a path through a mainly residential section on the near west side of Joliet known as the "Cathedral Area". Initial damage was found near the intersection of Jefferson St. (U.S. route 52) and William Street. The damage path then continued northeastward to a point near the intersections of Ruby Street, Bluff Street, and the Des Plaines River. Most of the damage was of F-0 intensity, with extensive tree damage and very minor damage to structures. However there were three pockets of more substantial primary structural damage which consisted mainly of roofs being torn off residences and garages being totally demolished. In all, 10 residences were declared uninhabitable.
This is a continuation of a tornado that began at 12:22 PM CST in Grundy County. The tornado moved into Will County on N Will Road just south of State Route 113. There was considerable damage to businesses on State Route 113 between N Will Road and I-55. An RV dealership had numerous vehicles overturned and damaged. A two story structure lost its roof and had portions of its walls ripped off. A model home was completely removed from its foundation on the north side of State Route 113. A manufactured building had its roof ripped off with all the walls collapsed. Widespread tree damage was observed along the west side of I-55 where the tornado almost tracked parallel to as it weakened. The tornado crossed I-55 near Widows Road where several hardwood trees were uprooted. The tornado tracked into the Midewin Tallgrass Prairie where it damaged several metal structures just west of Route 53. The tornado lifted just east of Route 53. Maximum wind speeds were estimated to be up to 125 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Will County, Illinois?
98 tornado events are recorded in Will County between 1960 and 2025, causing 34 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Will County?
The strongest tornado on record in Will County measured F5.
Where does the tornado data for Will 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 Will County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/will-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.