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Wabash County, Illinois severe weather history spans 279 recorded events between 1958 and 2025. The dominant hazard is flood, accounting for 31.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,902 nationally and #69 in Illinois.
279
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
55
Direct injuries
$35.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Wabash County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wabash County, Illinois severe weather history averages 4.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 105 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 20 events fall before 1990 and 259 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wabash County, Illinois record is flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $33.7M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Wabash County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood | 89 | 1 | $392K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 76 | 0 | $1.0M | 78 | 1973–2024 |
| Hail | 56 | 0 | $503K | 2.75 | 1976–2025 |
| Tornado | 19 | 0 | $33.7M | F4 | 1958–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 0 | $79K | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2013 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2025 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $60K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Wabash County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
21 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-02 | EF4 | 1 | 12 | 106.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1989-01-07 | EF4 | 0 | 55 | 19.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-05-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 26.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 10.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-01-07 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 27.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 22 | 14.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 112.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1958-07-11 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 32.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 34.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wabash County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2015 | Flood | MT CARMEL | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Jan 7, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 50 | $25.0M | |
| Nov 17, 2013 | Tornado | GARDS PT | 0 | 1 | $250K |
| Jul 4, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Apr 28, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Oct 24, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jul 5, 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Minor flooding occurred on the Wabash River. At the Mount Carmel river gage, the river crested at 24.78 feet on the 19th. Flood stage is 19 feet. Backwater flooding of tributary creeks occurred, including Coffee Creek near Keensburg. One person drowned when his ultra-terrain vehicle became submerged in creek floodwaters near Keensburg. The 22-year-old man was found several days later, after floodwaters had receded a couple of feet. Cattle and farm equipment were relocated. Most local roads along or near the river were impassible. Extensive lowland flooding occurred. Installation of flood gate A at Mount Carmel was necessary. Access to local camp sites was blocked. The Wabash River was more than 2 miles wide at I-64.
Three steel towers carrying high-voltage power lines were bent or partially collapsed. A single wide mobile home was demolished. The frame was blown about 50 yards but was not bent. There was curvature in the debris field. A grain bin was blown one mile into a tree line, and three other grain bins were destroyed. Machine sheds were unroofed, with some walls collapsing. Barns were destroyed, and hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped. Power poles were snapped. There was minor to moderate damage to house roofs. The tornado reached EF-2 intensity in sparsely populated areas. Where it crossed through the north and west part of Mount Carmel near the end of its path, the tornado weakened to EF-1 intensity. The damage in Mount Carmel consisted of numerous uprooted and snapped trees, moderate roof damage to at least 4 or 5 houses, and destroyed sheds. In the vicinity of where the tornado crossed Route 15, damage was minimal, consisting of just a few downed trees. Peak winds were near 125 mph. The average path width was about 100 yards.
The tornado touched down near Keensburg and moved northeast, passing across the southeast portion of Mount Carmel and across the Wabash River into Indiana. A few homes lost large portions of roofing, mainly shingles. Outbuildings and small sheds were destroyed. Numerous power lines were down. Many trees were snapped or uprooted. Many trees landed on homes and structures, causing some structural damage. Dozens of power poles were snapped off. A large machine shed lost small sections of metal roof and wall panels. Several pivot irrigation systems were flipped. Peak winds were estimated near 115 mph in Wabash County. The tornado crossed the Wabash River into Gibson County, Indiana.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,119
Population (ACS)
$105K
Median home value
10
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Nov 26, 2013 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jun 7, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Feb 1, 2005 | Snowstorm | RECORD/NEAR RECORD SNOW | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Mt Carmel 305
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wabash County, Illinois?
279 events are on record between 1958 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $35.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wabash County?
Flood, with 89 recorded events — 31.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wabash County?
21 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wabash County?
10 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wabash County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wabash County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wabash County as very low risk, placing it in the 25 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wabash 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
- Vermilion County 691
- Warren County 302
- Union County 230
- Washington County 326
- Tazewell County 729
- Wayne County 312
Cite this page
“Wabash County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/wabash-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.