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Livingston County, Illinois severe weather history spans 418 recorded events between 1950 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,183 nationally and #39 in Illinois.
418
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
18
Direct injuries
$12.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Livingston County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Livingston County, Illinois severe weather history averages 5.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 117 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 57 events fall before 1990 and 361 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Livingston County, Illinois record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $10.3M 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 Livingston County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 199 | 0 | $238K | 75 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 97 | 0 | $0 | 5.5 | 1957–2026 |
| Tornado | 55 | 1 | $10.3M | F3 | 1950–2026 |
| Flood | 25 | 1 | $2.3M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2001–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $2K | 0 | 2010–2016 |
Decade by decade
Livingston County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
56 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 43 touched down inside it and 13 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 | EF4 | 3 | 125 | 46.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1954-04-07 | EF3 | 1 | 13 | 42.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-05 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 1 | 13 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-02-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2016-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 11.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 0 | 17 | 17.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 13.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1986-09-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1980-06-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 34.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Livingston County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 2010 | Tornado | SUNBURY | 1 | 13 | $3.0M |
| Dec 29, 2015 | Flood | BLAIR | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 28, 2010 | Lightning | CLAY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 23, 2016 | Tornado | GRAYMONT | 0 | 4 | $0 |
| May 24, 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | PONTIAC | 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 rain fell onto saturated and frozen ground across Livingston County on January 8th. The rain quickly ran off into streams and rivers which then overflowed their banks. Widespread and significant flooding occurred in many areas of the county including the city of Pontiac. Much of the city was under water with businesses, schools and homes flooded and damaged. One man died after slipping and falling in his flooded basement and many others had to be rescued after their cars became stranded in flood waters. Numerous roads were flooded and closed across the county. Storm total rainfall amounts included 3.87 inches in Fairbury, 3.40 inches in Pontiac and 2.58 inches in Dwight.
Thunderstorms dumped 4 to 6 inches of rain in northeast Livingston County. A cooperative observer at Dwight measured 4.75 inches. Numerous roads, yards and basements were flooded. A car dealership suffered about $250,000 in damages when the parking lot flooded. Gooseberry Creek and Brewster Creek flooded. Illinois Highway 47 was closed.
A secondary tornado occurred 3 miles northwest of Dwight in northern Livingston County. The tornado began near the intersection of Rd 3300N and 2300E, where it caused minor damage to a home and surrounding trees. The tornado continued to the southeast where it derailed a train off its tracks near 2400E Road. At this point, the tornado moved east causing minor damage to some area trees before crossing Interstate 55, where it then lifted. The tornado was rated EF0 with winds estimated at around 80 mph and a path width of 20 yards.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
35,565
Population (ACS)
$142K
Median home value
11
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 |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Mar 7, 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 Livingston County, Illinois?
418 events are on record between 1950 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $12.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Livingston County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 199 recorded events — 47.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Livingston County?
56 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 43 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Livingston County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Livingston County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Livingston County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Livingston County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 72 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Livingston 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
- Lee County 389
- Logan County 551
- Lawrence County 280
- McDonough County 592
- LaSalle County 753
- McHenry County 654
Cite this page
“Livingston County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/livingston-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.