342
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$5.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Winnebago County, Illinois: 342 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #324 nationally and #14 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Winnebago County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Winnebago County is the 2010s, when 102 of the county's 342 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 Winnebago County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 49.4% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #324 for this hazard and #14 within Illinois, putting it in the 89.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Winnebago County with 101 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2021 | ROCKFORD | 60 | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Nov 16, 1988 | 51 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| May 22, 2011 | (RFD)GTR ROCKFORD AR | 65 | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Sep 21, 2010 | LOVES PARK | 50 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | (RFD) ROCKFORD AIRPORT | 54 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | DURAND | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | DURAND | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2026 | SEWARD | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2026 | DURAND | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 10, 2026 | PECATONICA | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2025 | PERRYVILLE | 55 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | SOUTH BELOIT | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | SOUTH BELOIT | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | SOUTH BELOIT | 52 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Winnebago County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Several high wind and wind damage reports were received across eastern and southeastern Rockford as a line of severe storms moves through. Specific reports include estimated 70 mph gusts near Alpine Road and Harrison Avenue and estimated 75 mph gusts near Interstate 90 and Highway 20. One person was injured on Crosby Street on the near east side of Rockford when a tree fell onto a house. A large tree fell onto a car on Antelope Drive and destroyed the car. Another tree fell onto a car on Fairview Avenue. A pharmacy on Main street lost part of its roof and part of a wall was damaged. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down in many areas.
Wind damage was reported in a large area of Rockford. Two large trees were blown down and a roof was blown off a house on Spring Lake Road. Four large trees were blown down at Route 2 and Gleasman Road. Trees were blown down and uprooted near Route 251 and Spring Creek Road. Numerous 6 to 12 inch tree limbs were blown near SpringBrook and Hickory Roads. ComEd reported 17,700 customers lost power.
A semi-truck was overturned in Loves Park on Perryville Road between Harlem Road and Mulford Road. State Street was closed from 9th Street to Division after a large tree was blown down taking down power lines. Rockford Park District reported that 25 parks and facilities sustained some type of storm damage, mostly from fallen trees.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Winnebago County, Illinois?
342 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Winnebago County between 1960 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Winnebago County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Winnebago County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Winnebago 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 Winnebago County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/winnebago-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.