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Lawrence County, Illinois severe weather history spans 280 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,898 nationally and #68 in Illinois.
280
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
17
Direct injuries
$6.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence County, Illinois severe weather history averages 4.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 88 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 28 events fall before 1990 and 252 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $3.4M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 156 | 0 | $1.6M | 77 | 1973–2025 |
| Hail | 67 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1963–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 39 | 0 | $262K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 10 | 0 | $3.4M | F3 | 1956–2024 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 2008–2019 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-01 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 55.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 22 | 14.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-02-25 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 23.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-03-08 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 4.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-05-03 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-08-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 37.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 19, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $250K | |
| Mar 16, 1984 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Feb 25, 1956 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 8, 2009 | Tornado | LAWRENCEVILLE ARPT | 0 | 1 | $305K |
| Jun 2, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K | |
| May 3, 1958 | 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
Heavy rainfall caused record flooding on the Embarras River at Lawrenceville. The river reached a level of 42.3 feet at 2325 CST on 6/9. This resulted in the breach of at least 4 levees on the Embarras and Wabash Rivers which produced widespread flooding in eastern Lawrence County. In the town of Lawrenceville, 158 homes had water in the first floor living area, while 48 others reported water in the basement. In addition, 8 businesses had in excess of 5 feet of water. Lawrence County was declared a disaster area due to the flooding.
The tornado initially touched down 1 mile northeast of the Lawrenceville Airport, then tracked northeastward to 1 mile southeast of Russellville at the Wabash River. The tornado then crossed the Wabash River into Knox County Indiana. Twenty irrigation units were destroyed along the path of the tornado. Numerous grain bins, machine sheds and pole barns were severely damaged as well. In addition, one home experienced moderate damage. One man sustained minor injuries from flying debris.
A swath of wind damage extended from west to east across Sumner. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down in an area about 3 blocks wide and 10 blocks long. No significant structural damage occurred and no injuries were reported.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
15,031
Population (ACS)
$99K
Median home value
9
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 7, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 24, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 7, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Illinois?
280 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $6.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 156 recorded events — 55.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
12 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 9 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lawrence County?
9 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 49 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- LaSalle County 753
- Lee County 389
- Lake County 641
- Livingston County 418
- Knox County 393
- Logan County 551
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.