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Macon County, Illinois severe weather history spans 562 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #686 nationally and #22 in Illinois.
562
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
85
Direct injuries
$49.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Macon County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Macon County, Illinois severe weather history averages 8.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 148 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 96 events fall before 1990 and 466 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Macon County, Illinois record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $22.9M 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 Macon County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 285 | 0 | $5.7M | 95 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 150 | 0 | $0 | 3.5 | 1959–2026 |
| Tornado | 78 | 1 | $22.9M | F4 | 1956–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 43 | 0 | $20.1M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $76K | 0 | 2006–2019 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $400K | 0 | 2015–2022 |
Decade by decade
Macon County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
79 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 72 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-03-20 | EF4 | 0 | 18 | 63.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 1 | 26 | 20.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-22 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 42.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 29 | 14.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-22 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 31.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1951-06-27 | EF3 | 0 | 35 | 9.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-12-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 23.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2014-10-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-05-12 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Macon County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 26 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 20, 1996 | Tornado | NIANTIC | 0 | 29 | $9.0M |
| Apr 19, 1996 | Tornado | DECATUR | 0 | 9 | $1.5M |
| Aug 2, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | WARRENSBURG | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | Tornado | ELWIN | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jun 20, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| May 13, 1978 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Mar 20, 1976 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A severe thunderstorm produced 2.00 to 3.00 of rain within one hour in parts of central Macon County, including the cities of Decatur and Mt. Zion. The flash flooding resulted in the closure of numerous streets and viaducts in Decatur, as well as basement flooding to numerous homes and businesses. The flash flooding also impacted several rural roads from Harristown through Decatur to Mt. Zion. The flooding subsided by late evening.
A downburst occurred in Forsyth damaging 43 homes (one home was destroyed, three homes had major damage, and four businesses had minor damage). There was also some minor damage to a public park. Damage was estimated around $1,400,000.
Extensive wind damage occurred across Maroa. The roof of a township building on South Wood Street was blown off and approximately 100 trees were blown down across town. A camper was blown over and crops near town were flattened. In addition, a solar farm on the south side of Maroa was destroyed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
101,849
Population (ACS)
$127K
Median home value
11
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Feb 9, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| May 21, 2002 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Decatur 114
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Macon County, Illinois?
562 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $49.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Macon County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 285 recorded events — 50.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Macon County?
79 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 72 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Macon County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Macon County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Macon County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Macon County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 83 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Macon 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
- McLean County 760
- Macoupin County 527
- McHenry County 654
- Madison County 839
- McDonough County 592
- Marion County 375
Cite this page
“Macon County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/macon-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.