298
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$2.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Fulton County, Illinois: 298 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #461 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Fulton County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Fulton County is the 2000s, when 81 of the county's 298 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 Fulton County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 48.3% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #461 for this hazard and #20 within Illinois, putting it in the 85.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Fulton County with 95 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 4, 2009 | VERMONT | 61 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Aug 22, 2001 | FARMINGTON | 53 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 29, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 61 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 6, 2026 | SMITHFIELD | 52 | $0 |
| Dec 28, 2025 | FAIRVIEW | 52 | $0 |
| Dec 18, 2025 | FAIRVIEW | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | LEWISTOWN | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 21, 2025 | LEESBURG | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 22, 2025 | ASTORIA | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | LEWISTOWN | 61 | $0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | LEWISTOWN | 56 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | CANTON | 52 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | CANTON | 61 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Fulton County
- Hail 210
- Flash Flood 50
- Tornado 48
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A corridor of enhanced wind damage occurred along Highway 24 in Fulton County from southwest of Fairview to just south of Farmington. A National Weather Service Storm Survey found several machine sheds, garages, and outbuildings damaged or destroyed along this path. In addition, numerous trees and powerlines were blown down as well. The winds were likely caused by the rear-flank downdraft from a supercell thunderstorm just ahead of the main line of storms.
Widespread wind damage was reported in the town of Canton. Extensive tree damage was noted in the Sycamore Terrace neighborhood, where several 2 to 10 foot diameter trees were broken and/or uprooted. Numerous trees and powerlines were blown down throughout Canton as well. The wind also caused the transmission tower at WBYS radio to fall to the ground.
As the bow echo moved through Fulton County it blew down hundreds of trees, one of which fell on a woman in Cuba, who was trying to seek shelter from the storm. She sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized for a time.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Fulton County, Illinois?
298 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Fulton County between 1961 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Fulton County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Fulton County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Fulton 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 Fulton County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/fulton-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.