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Alexander County, Illinois severe weather history spans 336 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The dominant hazard is flood, accounting for 44.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,577 nationally and #55 in Illinois.
336
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$18.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Alexander County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Alexander County, Illinois severe weather history averages 4.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 142 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 20 events fall before 1990 and 316 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $14.5M 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 Alexander County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood | 151 | 0 | $14.5M | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 79 | 0 | $1.3M | 100 | 1965–2025 |
| Hail | 52 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1966–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $962K | 0 | 1997–2023 |
| Tornado | 17 | 0 | $1.6M | F2 | 1957–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2015 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2022 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Alexander County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
17 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-01-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-04-21 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 6.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 6.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 23.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-10-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-01-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 95.9 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Alexander County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1957 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Apr 17, 1960 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K | |
| May 7, 2003 | Tornado | WILLARD | 0 | 1 | $300K |
| May 17, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | WILLARD | 0 | 1 | $75K |
| Apr 21, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K | |
| Jul 8, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding continued on the Mississippi River from April. At the Thebes river gage, the flood crest of 45.52 feet on the night of May 2 was the second highest crest on record. The record crest was 45.91 feet in May of 1995. A major levee break at Fayville resulted in flash flooding in central and northern parts of the county. Communities outside of levee protection systems, such as Olive Branch, Miller City, and Tamms, were evacuated as floodwaters inundated entire communities and cut off access roads. Many homes and businesses in those communities were sandbagged, but most of them ended up being flooded. Lower portions of the community of Thebes were inundated. The National Guard was requested to assist with sandbagging residences. A water main break caused interruptions in the drinking water supply.
Numerous road closures were reported, though all major roads were reopened within 24 hours. U.S. Highway 51 was closed at the northern entrance to Cairo. Several homes were flooded, mainly in the Olive Branch and Gale areas. Basement flooding occurred in Cairo, especially north parts of the city. Ten people were rescued with three boats used by the Department of Natural Resources.
At the Cairo Regional Airport, a twenty-foot tall hangar was completely destroyed, along with two light aircraft and a camper. The debris was blown onto airport runways. The airport manager was an eyewitness to the tornado and noted an anemometer reading of 118 mph. One mobile home was destroyed on Route 3. Several trees were snapped or uprooted, along with minor to moderate roof damage on two homes. In Urbandale, large trees damaged two trailers and one house. Peak winds were measured near 120 mph at the airport. The average path width was 150 yards.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
4,875
Population (ACS)
$60K
Median home value
17
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 |
| Jun 7, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 2, 2009 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Cairo 326
- Thebes 119
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Alexander County, Illinois?
336 events are on record between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $18.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Alexander County?
Flood, with 151 recorded events — 44.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Alexander County?
17 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Alexander County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Alexander County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Alexander County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Alexander County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 44 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Alexander 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
- Adams County 513
- Bond County 220
- Boone County 267
- Brown County 145
- Bureau County 487
- Calhoun County 142
Cite this page
“Alexander County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/alexander-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.