121
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$20.3M
Property damage
Tornado in McLean County, Illinois: 121 recorded events between 1950 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #21 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in McLean County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in McLean County is the 1980s, when 26 of the county's 121 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 McLean County archive, tornado makes up 15.9% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #21 for this hazard and #1 within Illinois, putting it in the 99.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in McLean County with 38 recorded events, while Feb 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-05-05 | EF4 | 7.3 mi | 1,000 yd | Crossed in |
| 1996-04-19 | EF3 | 9.4 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 7.4 mi | 350 yd | Touched down here |
| 2018-12-01 | EF2 | 2.4 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-23 | EF2 | 13.1 mi | 240 yd | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-08 | EF2 | 4.0 mi | 400 yd | Touched down here |
| 1986-09-29 | EF2 | 9.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1982-08-24 | EF2 | 23.5 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1981-04-13 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-06-29 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2000 | SHAMROCK | F2 | 0 | 4 | $175K |
| Mar 4, 1961 | F1 | 0 | 1 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 28, 2025 | SAYBROOK | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | LAURETTE | EFU | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | ANCHOR | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | ANCHOR | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | BALLARD | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | BALLARD | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 2024 | BALLARD | EF1 | $0 |
| Jan 3, 2023 | TROSTER | EF1 | $0 |
| Sep 19, 2022 | LE ROY | EF0 | $0 |
| Apr 30, 2022 | COLFAX | EFU | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from McLean County
- Thunderstorm Wind 342
- Hail 245
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down 3 W of Sabina and traveled to the east lifting and dissipating 1 E of Sabina. The tornado destroyed one home and damaged 14 homes. Several grain bins and outbuildings were either damaged or destroyed. Numerous trees and power poles were blown down. No one was injured and damage was estimated around $518,000.
A tornado touched down half a mile north of Shamrock. It traveled east northeast causing minor to moderate damage to several machine sheds and barns. The most severe damage was to a two story house 2 miles north northwest of Downs. The 3 to 5 year old house sustained major damage with the roof lifted off and two exterior walls caved in. Four family members sustained minor cuts and bruises. A neighbor's house sustained minor damage, mainly due to flying debris from the destroyed home.
A tornado touched down 2 N of Wapella destroying several outbuildings, then it hopped and skipped along a 13-mile path causing sporadic damage along the way, mainly to trees and power lines. It did damage two to three homes in LeRoy before it finally dissipated. No one was injured and damage was estimated around $150,000.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in McLean County, Illinois?
121 tornado events are recorded in McLean County between 1950 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in McLean County?
The strongest tornado on record in McLean County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for McLean 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
“Tornado in McLean County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/mclean-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.