Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Winnebago; Boone; McHenry; Lake; Ogle; Lee; De Kalb; Kane; DuPage; La Salle; Kendall; Grundy; Kankakee; Livingston; Iroquois; Ford; Northern Cook; Central Cook; Southern Cook; Northern Will; Southern Will; Eastern Will; Lake; Porter; Newton; Jasper; Benton
Will County, Illinois severe weather history spans 1,250 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #72 nationally and #2 in Illinois.
1,250
Recorded events
38
Direct deaths
499
Direct injuries
$378.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Will County, Illinois severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Will County, Illinois severe weather history averages 17.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 358 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 104 events fall before 1990 and 1,146 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Will County, Illinois record is tornado, responsible for 34 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $350.3M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Will County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 564 | 0 | $3.7M | 95 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 358 | 0 | $82K | 3 | 1961–2026 |
| Tornado | 98 | 34 | $350.3M | F5 | 1960–2025 |
| Flood | 88 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 1998–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 65 | 2 | $22.7M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Lightning | 41 | 2 | $1.5M | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 22 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 13 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Wildfire | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2003–2003 |
Decade by decade
Will County, Illinois severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
102 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 76 touched down inside it and 26 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-08-28 | EF5 | 29 | 350 | 16.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-06-29 | EF4 | 0 | 1 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-27 | EF3 | 1 | 5 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-06-22 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 16.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-27 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 22.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1972-07-17 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 81.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-04-23 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 51.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-11-12 | EF2 | 2 | 90 | 35.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1972-04-06 | EF2 | 1 | 22 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Will County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1990 | Tornado | 29 | 350 | $250.0M | |
| Nov 12, 1965 | Tornado | 2 | 90 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 18, 1996 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 7, 1972 | Tornado | 1 | 22 | $250K | |
| Apr 27, 1984 | Tornado | 1 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 28, 2016 | Lightning | BOLINGBROOK | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Sep 3, 2018 | Lightning | BARBERS CORNERS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 25, 1978 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado developed near Ridgeland Avenue and Dralle Road, where a high tension metal truss tower collapsed and four others were damaged. Power lines blocked Interstate 57. The tornado destroyed a mobile home and outbuildings east of Ridgeland between Dralle and Stuenkel Roads before crossing Interstate 57. The tornado was rated EF2 in this area. Six people were injured in vehicles on Interstate 57. Several cars were damaged and a semi trailer was completely destroyed. East of Interstate 57 at Stuenkel Road, a large warehouse had bay doors blown in, much of the roof collapsed, and the west wall blown in. Utility poles were pushed over along South Central Avenue.
The tornado swept out a path through a mainly residential section on the near west side of Joliet known as the "Cathedral Area". Initial damage was found near the intersection of Jefferson St. (U.S. route 52) and William Street. The damage path then continued northeastward to a point near the intersections of Ruby Street, Bluff Street, and the Des Plaines River. Most of the damage was of F-0 intensity, with extensive tree damage and very minor damage to structures. However there were three pockets of more substantial primary structural damage which consisted mainly of roofs being torn off residences and garages being totally demolished. In all, 10 residences were declared uninhabitable.
Major flooding affected the city of Joliet during the afternoon and evening hours of July 27th. Torrential Rains fell across parts of the city with 5.50 inches falling in just 90 minutes between 4 pm and 530 pm near Black Road and Infantry Drive. Storm total rainfall of 6.13 inches was reported on the west side of Joliet. Approximately 30 homes and businesses suffered basement flooding. Center Street Ramps to Interstate 80 were closed with four feet of standing water. Cars were stranded in 4 to 5 feet of water under the viaduct on Route 30 east of Briggs Street. Pavement buckled under the force of the flood waters at Western and Cass Avenues. Raynor and Ingallis were closed with 12 to 16 inches of water. The intersection of Larkin and Jefferson closed with 2 to 3 feet of water. Springfield and Glenwood Streets had 10 to 12 inches of water. Numerous other locations reported less significant flooding.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
701,462
Population (ACS)
$320K
Median home value
19
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2024 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODNG | DR |
| Mar 26, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Nov 26, 2013 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| May 10, 2013 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Mar 17, 2011 | Snowstorm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Joliet 109
- Plainfield 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Will County, Illinois?
1,250 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 38 direct deaths and $378.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Will County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 564 recorded events — 45.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Will County?
102 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 76 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Will County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Will County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Will County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Will County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 97 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Will 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
- Whiteside County 557
- Williamson County 375
- White County 413
- Winnebago County 692
- Wayne County 312
- Woodford County 437
Cite this page
“Will County, Illinois.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/illinois/will-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.