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Knox County, Illinois severe weather history spans 393 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,280 nationally and #43 in Illinois.
393
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
26
Direct injuries
$52.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Knox County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Knox County, Illinois severe weather history averages 6.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 139 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 36 events fall before 1990 and 357 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Knox County, Illinois record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $40.6M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Knox County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 205 | 2 | $4.2M | 87 | 1965–2026 |
| Hail | 114 | 0 | $0 | 4.5 | 1967–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 34 | 0 | $40.6M | 0 | 2001–2022 |
| Tornado | 31 | 0 | $7.2M | F3 | 1961–2026 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2013 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $3K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Knox County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-13 | EF4 | 0 | 7 | 50.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-06-14 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 48.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-05-14 | EF3 | 0 | 8 | 127.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 14.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-03-23 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 16.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Knox County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 23, 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | (GBG)GALESBURG ARPT | 1 | 7 | $800K |
| Mar 9, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | GALESBURG | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 15, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 8, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | GALESBURG | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 2 | $1.0M |
| May 13, 1995 | Tornado | St Augustine | 0 | 2 | $1.6M |
| Mar 24, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Jun 29, 1998 | Tornado | WILLIAMSFIELD | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A swath of wind damage cut through Knox county. The winds produced considerable tree, power line, and crop damage. Numerous structures were also damaged along the path, primarily due to falling trees and tree limbs. A man was killed in the Victoria area by a falling tree. Seven injuries were reported in the Galesburg area due to the storm, at least one due to a falling tree.
As a severe thunderstorm moved northeast across Knox County, it blew down several trees and power lines. Also, 2.4 miles south southeast of Rio on IL Route 150 at 2500 N, the thunderstorm winds caused a woman to lose control of her car. She slid sideways and struck a utility pole. She was killed in the crash. No other injuries or deaths were reported.
Torrential rainfall of 4.00 to 8.00 inches resulted in damage to thousands of houses and businesses in the county, including several in the cities of Galesburg and Knoxville. Every creek and stream in the county was flooded. Nearly every road in the county was impassable, and several water rescues were made. This rainfall lead to record or near record flooding on the Spoon River from April 18th through the 24th.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
49,046
Population (ACS)
$112K
Median home value
11
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 19, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Sep 25, 2007 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Galesburg 114
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Knox County, Illinois?
393 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $52.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Knox County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 205 recorded events — 52.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Knox County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 31 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Knox County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Knox County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Knox County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Knox County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 57 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Knox County, Illinois severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Kendall County 365
- Lake County 641
- Kankakee County 562
- LaSalle County 753
- Kane County 907
- Lawrence County 280
Cite this page
“Knox County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/knox-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.