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Hancock County, Illinois severe weather history spans 510 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 42.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #840 nationally and #29 in Illinois.
510
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
21
Direct injuries
$42.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Hancock County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hancock County, Illinois severe weather history averages 7.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 192 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 54 events fall before 1990 and 456 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $34.6M 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 Hancock County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 214 | 0 | $4.9M | 104 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 175 | 0 | $365K | 3 | 1955–2024 |
| Flood | 41 | 0 | $2.0M | 0 | 1998–2019 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 0 | $585K | 1.3 | 1997–2022 |
| Tornado | 32 | 0 | $34.6M | F4 | 1955–2026 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $5K | 8 | 2001–2003 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Hancock County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
32 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-13 | EF4 | 0 | 7 | 50.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-04-08 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-13 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-09-30 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-10 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 69.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-03-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 42.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 19.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hancock County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| May 13, 1995 | Tornado | Niota | 0 | 7 | $10.0M |
| Jun 29, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | FERRIS | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 18, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | HAMILTON | 0 | 1 | $60K |
| Jun 30, 1986 | 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
Wind gusts estimated to be 60 to 80 mph downed several trees and large limbs across much of Hamilton, IL around 130 am CDT June 27. A home on North 19th Street sustained roof damage and a power pole was blown down in the front yard.
Wind gusts in excess of 70 mph blew down several trees and large limbs in Bentley, IL around 145 am CDT June 27. Some roads were blocked by the tree debris. In addition, some buildings and homes were damaged and a new Morton building on the north side of Bentley was strewn across the freeway. Some of the trees and limbs fell onto a few homes.
Heavy rains resulted in some flash flooding in parts of Hancock County IL during the morning of June 14. New Warsaw Rd in Warsaw, IL to Route 400 E was closed due to the flood waters. Several mud slides occurred in the area.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,281
Population (ACS)
$114K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Sep 19, 2019 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hancock County, Illinois?
510 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $42.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hancock County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 214 recorded events — 42.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hancock County?
32 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hancock County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hancock County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hancock County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hancock County as very low risk, placing it in the 31 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hancock 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
- Hamilton County 179
- Hardin County 87
- Grundy County 345
- Henderson County 223
- Greene County 193
- Henry County 679
Cite this page
“Hancock County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/hancock-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.