314
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
16
Direct injuries
$1.3M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in DeKalb County, Illinois: 314 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #408 nationally and #16 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in DeKalb County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in DeKalb County is the 2020s, when 112 of the county's 314 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the DeKalb County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 64.7% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #408 for this hazard and #16 within Illinois, putting it in the 87.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in DeKalb County with 73 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 24, 1998 | KIRKLAND | 50 | 0 | 12 | $0 |
| Jul 27, 2003 | SANDWICH | 64 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 1, 2007 | SANDWICH | 55 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Apr 5, 1997 | SYCAMORE | 61 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | WOODLAKE LANDING AIRPORT | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | ROLLO | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2025 | WILKINSON | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2025 | GENOA | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2025 | GENOA | 56 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2025 | GENOA | 52 | $0 |
| Aug 16, 2025 | WILKINSON | 63 | $0 |
| Aug 16, 2025 | DEKALB | 52 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | NEW LEBANON | 55 | $0 |
| Jun 8, 2025 | (DKB) DEKALB TAYLOR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT | 56 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from DeKalb County
- Hail 88
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An approximately seven mile swath of damage occurred on the south side of Dekalb which was consistent with 60 mph to occasionally 100 mph winds. Damage began near the intersection of Malta Road and Nelson Road and concluded near Lynch Road just south of Gurler Road. A warehouse on Harvestore Drive had a portion of the roof torn off along with a broken window. Some mobile homes in the parking lot were rolled or overturned.
A tree was blown down near Peace Road and Fairview Drive. Trees were blown down on multiple houses near 4th Street and Route 23. A large section of a roof was blown off of a house near 4th Street and Route 23. A 20 by 40 foot tent was blown down on the NIU campus. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down in many areas.
Two older trees were blown down on the north side of the Oak Club of Genoa Golf Course and many trees were uprooted. In Genoa, house siding was damaged by the winds. A 100 year old oak tree cracked at the base and landed on a neighbors garage.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in DeKalb County, Illinois?
314 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in DeKalb County between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in DeKalb County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in DeKalb County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for DeKalb County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in DeKalb County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/dekalb-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.