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Putnam County, Illinois severe weather history spans 187 recorded events between 1965 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,522 nationally and #93 in Illinois.
187
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$14.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Putnam County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Putnam County, Illinois severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 63 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 10 events fall before 1990 and 177 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $9.3M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Putnam County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 93 | 0 | $4.6M | 87 | 1981–2026 |
| Hail | 64 | 0 | $72K | 1.75 | 1972–2026 |
| Tornado | 12 | 0 | $9.3M | F3 | 1965–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 11 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 1997–2020 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2001 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2006 |
Decade by decade
Putnam County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-04-20 | EF3 | 8 | 12 | 15.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-07-17 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 81.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-09-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-04-21 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-11-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-02-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-10-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-07-17 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Putnam County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 2004 | Tornado | FLORID | 0 | 5 | $8.0M |
| Apr 21, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $3K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An intense thunderstorm moved across the southern part of Putnam County producing hail of 1.00 to 1.50 inches. Hail was reported between Magnolia and Mc Nabb in the 1615-1625 CST time period by several spotters. Additional spotters reported large hail on Illinois 18 west of Magnolia.
The same storm that produced a downburst 10 minutes earlier produced another around the town of Standard, Illinois. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed with a brand new 20×16 shed destroyed. The debris from the shed was scattered up to 400 yards away. The sheriff stated that the strongest winds only lasted 20 to 30 seconds.
Widespread damage was reported across the county after thunderstorm winds downed trees and power lines. The cities of Hennepin, Granville, and Standard suffered power outages. And numerous trees were blown down in Mc Nabb, Mark, and Magnolia.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
5,601
Population (ACS)
$173K
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 |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Dec 29, 2006 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Putnam County, Illinois?
187 events are on record between 1965 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $14.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Putnam County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 93 recorded events — 49.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Putnam County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Putnam County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Putnam County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Putnam County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Putnam County as very low risk, placing it in the 9 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Putnam 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
- Pulaski County 242
- Randolph County 426
- Pope County 173
- Richland County 212
- Pike County 321
- Rock Island County 629
Cite this page
“Putnam County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/putnam-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.