41
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$5.8M
Property damage
Tornado in Morgan County, Illinois: 41 recorded events between 1957 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #598 nationally and #30 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Morgan County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Morgan County is the 2020s, when 10 of the county's 41 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 Morgan County archive, tornado makes up 11.1% of all recorded severe weather across 5 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #598 for this hazard and #30 within Illinois, putting it in the 79.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Morgan County with 8 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-04-24 | EF3 | 64.2 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 2025-06-18 | EF2 | 6.9 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 2009-08-19 | EF2 | 19.2 mi | 440 yd | Touched down here |
| 2006-03-12 | EF2 | 67.0 mi | 880 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-24 | EF2 | 1.2 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-19 | EF2 | 6.0 mi | 880 yd | Touched down here |
| 1973-12-04 | EF2 | 0.1 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 1960-06-23 | EF2 | 34.9 mi | 100 yd | Crossed in |
| 1957-06-10 | EF2 | 42.3 mi | 10 yd | Crossed in |
| 1957-06-14 | EF2 | 1.9 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 1957 | F2 | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Jun 18, 2025 | ALEXANDER NEGUS ARPT | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 31, 2012 | FRANKLIN | EF1 | 0 | 1 | $230K |
| Mar 13, 2006 | MURRAYVILLE | F2 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 25, 2004 | JACKSONVILLE | F2 | 0 | 1 | $4.0M |
| Apr 19, 1996 | JACKSONVILLE | F2 | 0 | 1 | $400K |
| Dec 4, 1973 | F2 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2025 | ALEXANDER NEGUS ARPT | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | JACKSONVILLE ARPT | EF2 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | JACKSONVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | LYNNVILLE | EF1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | LYNNVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | ARCADIA | EF0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | CHAPIN | EFU | $0 |
| Oct 11, 2021 | ALEXANDER | EF0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2021 | CONCORD | EF1 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2020 | ROHRER | EF0 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Morgan County
- Thunderstorm Wind 171
- Hail 117
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A small tornado touched down in the southwest section of Jacksonville near the point where Route 67 turns north. As it traveled to the northeast it quickly intensified to F2 strength destroying a furniture store, house and church and caused major damage to a motel. One occupant of the motel sustained minor injuries. The tornado then quickly weakened causing minor damage to several more homes and businesses before lifting and dissipating.
The tornado crossed from Scott County into Morgan County, then lifted 3.5 miles southwest of Franklin at 135 PM CST. Widespread tree and crop damage occurred along its path. Numerous grain bins and sheds were also damaged. The tornado reached a maximum width of 250 yards as it moved across extreme western Morgan County.
A tornado touched down about 0.8 miles south of Franklin at 5:12 PM CDT, then tracked north-northwest before lifting 0.5 miles south of Franklin at 5:13 PM CDT. The tornado destroyed an auto shop and damaged the roof of a house on the south side of Franklin. A mobile home was rolled off its foundation onto Illinois Route 104, injuring one person inside. Several trees were blown down and numerous tree branches were knocked down as well.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Morgan County, Illinois?
41 tornado events are recorded in Morgan County between 1957 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Morgan County?
The strongest tornado on record in Morgan County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Morgan 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 Morgan County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/morgan-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.