137
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$176.8M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Williamson County, Illinois: 137 recorded events between 1966 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #1,694 nationally and #65 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Williamson County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Williamson County is the 2010s, when 34 of the county's 137 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 Williamson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 36.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,694 for this hazard and #65 within Illinois, putting it in the 46.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Williamson County with 31 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2009 | CARTERVILLE | 87 | 0 | 1 | $175.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2025 | HERRIN | 52 | $12K |
| Jul 30, 2024 | STIRITZ | 61 | $20K |
| Jul 5, 2024 | CAMBRIA | 70 | $75K |
| May 27, 2024 | MARION | 61 | $30K |
| May 27, 2024 | CORINTH | 70 | $15K |
| May 27, 2024 | STIRITZ | 78 | $12K |
| May 27, 2024 | HERRIN | 61 | $5K |
| May 14, 2024 | MARION | 61 | $10K |
| May 8, 2024 | NEW DENISON | 65 | $8K |
| Apr 2, 2024 | CREAL SPGS | 61 | $3K |
Other hazards here
More from Williamson County
- Hail 120
- Flash Flood 40
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Several miles east-southeast of Marion, six homes were damaged, power poles were snapped, and large tree branches were snapped. Around 600 utility customers were without power. A trained spotter three miles south of Marion estimated the wind gusted to 70 mph.
Widespread wind damage occurred throughout the county. Numerous trees and power lines were down, causing widespread power outages. Some structural damage was reported, mainly due to trees falling on structures. Shingles were blown off a roof in Carterville. A boat dock was damaged at Lake of Egypt, near the Johnson County line.
Wind gusts were estimated from 60 to 70 mph in the Carterville area. A gas station canopy was damaged. A communications tower was blown down. Trees were uprooted, and several homes received damage in Crainville. Tree limbs fell on a car. The area was without power.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Williamson County, Illinois?
137 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Williamson County between 1966 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Williamson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Williamson County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Williamson 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 Williamson County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/williamson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.