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Shelby County, Illinois severe weather history spans 312 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,711 nationally and #61 in Illinois.
312
Recorded events
8
Direct deaths
69
Direct injuries
$19.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Shelby County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Shelby County, Illinois severe weather history averages 4.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 103 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 29 events fall before 1990 and 283 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Shelby County, Illinois record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $9.9M 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 Shelby County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 143 | 0 | $9.9M | 80 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 65 | 0 | $805K | 4.5 | 1958–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 53 | 1 | $190K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 35 | 6 | $7.9M | F3 | 1955–2025 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 2011–2025 |
| Lightning | 7 | 1 | $103K | 0 | 1996–2013 |
Decade by decade
Shelby County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
36 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-08-21 | EF3 | 6 | 56 | 26.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-10 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 41.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-10-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-02-20 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 22.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-06-01 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 15.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-10-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Shelby County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1977 | Tornado | 6 | 56 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 31, 2022 | Flash Flood | SHELBY CO ARPT | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 26, 2013 | Lightning | SHELBYVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 1999 | Tornado | TOWER HILL | 0 | 4 | $2.0M |
| Sep 7, 1996 | Lightning | SHELBYVILLE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Tornado | HERRICK | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Feb 20, 2014 | Tornado | DOLLVILLE | 0 | 1 | $80K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A man tried to drive across a flooded road near the intersection of 1600 East and County highway 26 southwest of Shelbyville on the morning of March 31st. His car was pushed off the road by the current, and he was swept away after exiting the vehicle. 24-hour rainfall in the area ranged from 2.5 to 3 inches.
Thunderstorm winds blew down or destroyed over 1,000 trees in Moweaqua. Two homes sustained serious damage and numerous homes had minor damage. Numerous power, telephone, and cable lines were blown down. Property damage was estimated around $750,000 and crop damage around $6 million.
Hundreds of trees were uprooted in the town of Windsor. Several trees and large branches damaged about 200 house roofs in town. The strong wind also blew shingles off of many houses. One house on the west side of town was pushed several inches off of its foundation. Power poles snapped, power lines were knocked down and a few flag poles were bent.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
20,720
Population (ACS)
$137K
Median home value
10
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 13, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | EM |
| 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 |
| Feb 9, 2007 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Shelby County, Illinois?
312 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 8 direct deaths and $19.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Shelby County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 143 recorded events — 45.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Shelby County?
36 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 Shelby County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Shelby County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Shelby County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Shelby County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Shelby 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
- Scott County 167
- Stark County 166
- Schuyler County 212
- Stephenson County 518
- Sangamon County 943
- Tazewell County 729
Cite this page
“Shelby County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/shelby-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.