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Henry County, Illinois severe weather history spans 679 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 44.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #431 nationally and #15 in Illinois.
679
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
16
Direct injuries
$94.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Henry County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Henry County, Illinois severe weather history averages 9.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 207 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 78 events fall before 1990 and 601 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Henry County, Illinois record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $51.8M 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 Henry County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 304 | 2 | $51.8M | 100 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 217 | 0 | $854K | 3 | 1958–2026 |
| Tornado | 71 | 0 | $24.8M | F3 | 1956–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 36 | 0 | $15.9M | 7 | 1997–2020 |
| Flood | 20 | 0 | $742K | 0 | 1998–2019 |
| Funnel Cloud | 15 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 11 | 0 | $4K | 1.3 | 2001–2011 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $85K | 0 | 1996–2010 |
Decade by decade
Henry County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
72 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 60 touched down inside it and 12 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-04-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-17 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-13 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-05-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Henry County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | GREEN RIVER | 2 | 4 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | Tornado | GALVA | 0 | 4 | $10.0M |
| Apr 20, 1996 | Tornado | BISHOP HILL | 0 | 4 | $10.0M |
| May 18, 2017 | Tornado | GALVA | 0 | 1 | $40K |
| Jul 25, 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | GREEN ROCK | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Jun 4, 2002 | Lightning | GENESEO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 4, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | KEWANEE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
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 90 mph toppled over 100 trees at the Indian Trails Resort in Colona, IL around 615 am July 21. One tree fell onto a tent killing a 4 year old boy and a 9 month old girl and injuring four other children. A family pet (dog) was also killed.
Also reported by law enforcement, spotters, and emergency managers in the southern part of the county. Extensive damage in Woodhull, Alpha, Nekoma, and Galva. Law enforcement reported zero visibility at the height of the storm on I-74 with cars blown into the ditches.
A bow echo interacted with a surface boundary over Atkinson and produced a ducted downburst over a narrow path of about 1 mile. About 12 homes sustained varying amounts of damage with many trees either uprooted or damaged. An RV wasflipped onto its side.At the Atkinson Grain & Fertilizer plant a 100 foot leg was torn away and dropped on the railroad tracks where it was hit by a slow moving train several hours later.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
48,643
Population (ACS)
$152K
Median home value
16
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODNG | 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Galva 107
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Henry County, Illinois?
679 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $94.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Henry County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 304 recorded events — 44.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Henry County?
72 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 60 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Henry County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Henry County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Henry County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Henry County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 57 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Henry 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
- Henderson County 223
- Iroquois County 433
- Hardin County 87
- Jackson County 578
- Hancock County 510
- Jasper County 231
Cite this page
“Henry County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/henry-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.