116
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$3.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in White County, Illinois: 116 recorded events between 1975 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 104. That places the county #1,995 nationally and #76 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in White County, Illinois: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in White County is the 2010s, when 43 of the county's 116 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 White County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 28.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,995 for this hazard and #76 within Illinois, putting it in the 36.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in White County with 21 recorded events, while Dec 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.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 1990 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Oct 24, 2001 | CENTERVILLE | 61 | 0 | 2 | $200K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 2025 | SPRINGERTON | 52 | $1K |
| Sep 21, 2024 | EMMA | 52 | $1K |
| Aug 1, 2024 | NORRIS CITY | 65 | $25K |
| Aug 1, 2024 | ENFIELD | 65 | $30K |
| Aug 1, 2024 | SPRINGERTON | 65 | $20K |
| Aug 1, 2024 | BURNT PRAIRIE | 52 | $1K |
| Aug 1, 2024 | MILL SHOALS | 56 | $4K |
| Jul 29, 2023 | CARMI | 56 | $15K |
| Jul 2, 2023 | NORRIS CITY | 56 | $30K |
| Jul 27, 2022 | CARMI | 52 | $5K |
Other hazards here
More from White County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A swath of damaging straight-line winds around 90 mph extended from Carmi northeast to Crossville. In Carmi and Crossville, there was widespread damage to trees and power lines. Numerous power poles were snapped. Sections of the metal walls of a large warehouse type building in Carmi were peeled back on the south and west sides. A mobile home was knocked off its foundation in Carmi. Much of the city was without power for 36 to 48 hours. Part of the roof was blown off the high school. Uprooted trees fell across homes and vehicles. A carport was blown into trees. In Crossville, numerous trees and limbs were blown down on every street. Some trees landed on houses and vehicles. A mobile home was demolished about a mile east of Crossville.
Damaging straight-line winds raked northern White County, downing trees and power lines, and destroying at least one pole barn. On County Road 800 East, a school bus was stopped when it was caught between fallen trees. A number of semi-tractor trailers and cars were blown off Interstate 64 about 6 miles west of Grayville. The driver of one of the semis was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. A second person was injured on Interstate 64, but no details were available. South of Burnt Prairie, several hogs were killed when a silo blew over and crashed into a hog barn. Roofs were blown off several buildings at a fertilizer plant near Burnt Prairie. A number of residences around Centerville were damaged, mainly by downed trees and limbs. Trees and limbs were downed in Crossville and Grayville, including one that fell on a home in Crossville. Several power lines were down in Carmi, and at least two poles were broken.
A National Weather Service damage survey revealed a strong downburst struck the community of Maunie. In Maunie, the cement and brick facade of a building partially collapsed. A tree was uprooted in front of the post office. About a half mile north of Maunie, one large irrigation unit was turned over and bent. Several large trees were uprooted, and large limbs were snapped. On County Road 1225, a machine shed roof was blown off. Peak winds were estimated near 100 mph.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in White County, Illinois?
116 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in White County between 1975 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in White County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in White County measured 104.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for White 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
“Thunderstorm Wind in White County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/white-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.