List of Illinois tornadoes explained

Tornadoes in the U.S. state of Illinois are common, with 3,214 tornadoes occurring within state boundaries since 1950. These tornadoes have collectively resulted in 235 deaths.

Climatology

See main article: Climate of Illinois. Illinois' climate is relatively average, and is only ideal for the formation of tornadoes in certain parts of the year, especially February, March and May. Warm air from the Southern United States can reach up into the Southern Illinois, resulting in tornadic storms. Illinois' proximity to Lake Michigan also results in cold air moving toward the Ohio Valley, creating the "hot-cold" effect seen in the traditional Tornado Alley. Illinois has had large tornado outbreaks in the past, the most notable being the tornado outbreak sequence of December 18–20, 1957.

Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35 occurring annually, which puts much of the state at around 5 tornadoes per 10000sqmi annually.[1] Peak tornado activity occurs between February and May, but storms can and have produced tornadoes in the winter.

Events

Pre-1950

1950–1959

1960–1969

1970–1979

1980–1989

1990-1999

2000–2009

2010–2019

2020–present

See also

Cited works

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Extreme weather in Illinois . July 31, 2024 . NCDC-NOAA.
  2. Web site: Star . Corina Curry Rockford Register . Key dates: Rock River Valley tornadoes . 2024-07-31 . Rockford Register Star . en-US.
  3. Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana. February 22, 1884.
  4. Grazulis, Significant, p. 676
  5. Mary K. Dains, "The St. Louis Tornado of 1896." Missouri Historical Review (1972) 66#3 pp 431–445.
  6. Brooks . Harold E. . Harold E. Brooks . Charles A. Doswell III . February 2001 . Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999 . . American Meteorological Society . 16 . 1 . 168–76 . 2001WtFor..16..168B . 10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2 . free.
  7. Frankenfield . H. C. . June 1917 . The Tornadoes and Windstorms of May 25–June 6, 1917 . Monthly Weather Review . . United States Weather Bureau . 45 . 6 . 291 . 1917MWRv...45..291F . 10.1175/1520-0493(1917)45<291:TTAWOM>2.0.CO;2 . 9 April 2013 . free.
  8. Carey . J. P. . August 1917 . The Central Illinois Tornado of May 26, 1917 . Geographical Review . American Geographical Society . 4 . 2 . 122–130 . 10.2307/207291 . 207291. 1917GeoRv...4..122C .
  9. Root . Clarence J. . May 1917 . The tornadoes of May 26th and 27th, 1917 . Climatological Data . United States Weather Bureau . 21 . 40.
  10. Burgess . D. M. Magsig . J. Wurman . D. Dowell . Y. Richardson . 2002 . Radar Observations of the 3 May 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado . Weather and Forecasting . 17 . 3 . 456–471 . 2002WtFor..17..456B . 10.1175/1520-0434(2002)017<0456:rootmo>2.0.co;2 . free.
  11. Web site: Grazulis . Thomas P. . Grazulis . Doris . April 26, 2000 . The United States' Worst Tornadoes . https://web.archive.org/web/20080514002740/http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm . May 14, 2008 . August 18, 2021 . The Tornado Project . Environmental Films . St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
  12. Web site: September 29, 1927 (Tornado) . https://web.archive.org/web/20121027152259/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/images/lsx/1927stltornado.pptx . 2012-10-27 . September 30, 2020.
  13. Web site: The Lacon F5 Tornado of March 16, 1942 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181215225656/https://www.weather.gov/ilx/16mar1942-tornadoes . 15 December 2018 . 30 September 2019 . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Central Illinois . National Weather Service . Lincoln, Illinois.
  14. Web site: March 27, 1950 . NCDC Storm Events Database Item 10009713 . March 6, 2019 . National Climatic Data Center . National Climatic Data Center.
  15. Logan County Tornadoes Since 1950 . NWS Central Illinois . EN-US . 23 October 2021 . www.weather.gov.
  16. Web site: 1951 . Climatological Data: National summary . 21 August 2022 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Data and Information Service, National Climatic Center . en.
  17. Book: Grazulis . T. P. . Significant Tornadoes: A chronology of events . 1990 . Tornado Project . 9781879362024 . en . 19 April 2022.
  18. Web site: 1952 . Climatological Data: National summary . 21 September 2022 . U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau. . en.
  19. Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . National Weather Service . 12 April 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information.
  20. Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . National Weather Service . February 2020 . National Centers for Environmental Information . 4 June 2020.
  21. Web site: North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959 . 21 April 2022 . bangladeshtornadoes.org.
  22. News: December 19, 1957 . Tornadoes Kill 8 in Midwest Area . The New York Times . 63 . United Press.
  23. News: Kopshever . Kathy . December 18, 2012 . The 1957 Tornadoes: Sunfield Hard-Hit 55 Years Ago Today . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230913200541/https://www.bentoneveningnews.com/article/20121218/news/701251135/ . September 13, 2023 . September 13, 2023 . Benton Evening News.
  24. Web site: . Illinois Event Report: F5 Tornado (Perry County) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230913024822/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=10008664 . 13 September 2023 . 13 September 2023 . Storm Event Database . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  25. Missouri Event Report: F4 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . 21 July 2020 . National Weather Service. Missouri Event Report: F4 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . 21 July 2020 . National Weather Service. Illinois Event Report: F4 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . 21 July 2020 . National Weather Service. News: Journals . Jim Merkel St Louis Suburban . 1959: See images from the tornado that toppled the Channel 2 tower and ripped part of the roof off The Arena . 20 July 2020 . STLtoday.com . en. News: toneil@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8132 . TIM O'NEIL • . 1959 tornado in St. Louis left 21 dead and 345 injured . 20 July 2020 . STLtoday.com . en.
  26. Web site: North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959 . 14 October 2020 . bangladeshtornadoes.org.
  27. Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . 21 July 2020 . National Weather Service.
  28. Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . 22 July 2020 . National Weather Service.
  29. Web site: Indiana Event Report: F1 Tornado . 11 July 2020 . National Weather Service . National Centers for Environmental Information.
  30. Web site: Storm Data Publication IPS National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) . 14 July 2020 . www.ncdc.noaa.gov.
  31. May 1960 . Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena . Storm Data . . . 2.
  32. Web site: Illinois-Indiana F3 . 25 July 2020 . Tornado History Projects . Storm Prediction Center.
  33. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . 25 July 2020 . National Weather Service . National Centers for Environmental Information.
  34. Web site: Indiana Event Report: F3 Tornado . 25 July 2020 . National Weather Service . National Centers for Environmental Information.
  35. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . 27 July 2020 . National Weather Service . National Centers for Environmental Information.
  36. Web site: Illinois F3 . 27 July 2020 . Tornado History Projects . Storm Prediction Center.
  37. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . 27 July 2020 . National Weather Service . National Centers for Environmental Information.
  38. Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service . 15 November 2020.
  39. Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service . 15 November 2020.
  40. Iowa Event Report: F2 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service . 15 November 2020.
  41. Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service . 21 November 2020.
  42. 1970 . Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena . Storm Data . . . 12 . 4.
  43. Web site: June 30, 1970 . Storm Data: June 1970 .
  44. Web site: 2016 . Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . 12 March 2017 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service.
  45. Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena, July 1975 . Storm Data . en-us . Asheville, North Carolina . National Climatic Data Center . 17 . 7 . 19 . 25 February 2012.
  46. Web site: 2011-09-11 . Fulton County Tornadoes, 1951 to 2010 . 2012-02-10 . Tornado Climatology for Central and Southeast Illinois . National Weather Service Central Illinois WFO.
  47. Web site: 1976 Tornado Outbreak . . 24 March 2016 . 7 October 2024 .
  48. Web site: June 13, 1976 Lemont Tornado . .
  49. Web site: Storm Data: May 1982 Volume 24 No. 5 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220420033531/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-02F72373-7DF7-4A5A-8E07-ECC2EB20D2E6.pdf . 20 April 2022 . 20 April 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  50. Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . . April 20, 2022.
  51. Illinois Event Report: F4 Tornado . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . . April 20, 2022.
  52. Web site: Event Record Details . https://web.archive.org/web/20110520001911/http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~32040 . May 20, 2011 . September 12, 2021 . National Climatic Data Center.
  53. Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . . April 20, 2022.
  54. Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . . April 20, 2022.
  55. Web site: 2005-12-26 . Answers archive: Tornado history, climatology . 2008-06-02 . USA Today.
  56. Web site: 30 Years Later: The August 28, 1990 F-5 Plainfield Tornado . 28 August 2020 . National Weather Service Chicago, Illinois.
  57. Book: Grazulis, Thomas P. . Thomas P. Grazulis . Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 . July 1993 . The Tornado Project of Environmental Films . 1-879362-03-1 . St. Johnsbury, Vermont.
  58. June 1990 . Roger W. . Tanner . Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena . Storm Data . Asheville, North Carolina . . 32 . 6.
  59. News: June 4, 1990 . Storms Leave 13 Dead in Midwest; Indiana Twisters Worst Since '74 . The New York Times . The Associated Press.
  60. Web site: June 2, 1990 Tornado Outbreak . unfit . https://web.archive.org/web/20121018155646/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ind/?n=june2_1990tor . October 18, 2012 . 26 February 2013 . . Indianapolis.
  61. Web site: 2011-05-05 . NCDC Storm Events-Select State . 2024-08-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110505093502/http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwEvent~Storms . May 5, 2011 .
  62. Web site: Illinois' Largest Tornado Outbreak: April 19, 1996 . 13 April 2023 . weather.gov/ilx.
  63. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  64. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  65. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  66. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  67. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  68. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  69. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  70. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  71. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  72. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  73. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  74. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  75. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  76. Web site: Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . March 8, 2021 . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . National Climatic Data Center.
  77. May 1999 . Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena with Late Reports and Corrections . dead . Storm Data . National Climatic Data Center . 41 . 89 . 0039-1972 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140311195101/http://cig.mesonet.org/NCDCpubs/Storm_Data/1999%20SD/SD199905.pdf . March 11, 2014 . June 4, 2013 . 5.
  78. Web site: 2002 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . April 23, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri.
  79. Web site: 2002 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . April 23, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service in Northern Illinois.
  80. Web site: 2002 . Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . April 23, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.
  81. Web site: 2002 . Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . April 23, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.
  82. Web site: 2002 . Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . April 23, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.
  83. Web site: 2002 . Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado . April 23, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.
  84. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . June 5, 2019 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  85. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . June 6, 2019 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  86. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . June 6, 2019 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  87. Web site: 2003 . Kentucky Event Report: F1 Tornado . June 6, 2019 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  88. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . December 14, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in St. Louis, Missouri.
  89. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F1 Tornado . December 14, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in St. Louis, Missouri.
  90. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 14, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in St. Louis, Missouri.
  91. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 14, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  92. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F4 Tornado . December 14, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  93. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  94. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  95. Web site: 2003 . Missouri Event Report: F2 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  96. Web site: 2003 . Kentucky Event Report: F2 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  97. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Memphis, Tennessee.
  98. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Memphis, Tennessee.
  99. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F2 Tornado . December 17, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Paducah, Kentucky.
  100. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 22, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in St. Louis, Missouri.
  101. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . December 22, 2021 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Northern Indiana.
  102. Web site: 2003 . Illinois Event Report: F0 Tornado . January 4, 2022 . National Centers for Environmental Information . National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Lincoln, Illinois.
  103. Web site: Central Illinois Weather Forecast Office The Roanoke F4 Tornado of July 13, 2004 . 31 March 2021 . National Weather Service.
  104. Web site: Chicago Weather Forecast Office The Rochelle-Fairdale EF4 Tornado of April 9, 2015 . 14 August 2024 . National Weather Service.
  105. Web site: June 20-21, 2021: Late Night Tornadoes and Wind Damage, Including an EF-3 Tornado From Naperville to Willow Springs . .
  106. Web site: NWS Damage Survey for March 31, 2023 Tornado Event Update #1 . . 1 April 2024 . iastate.edu .
  107. Illinois Event Report: EF1 Tornado . National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri . National Centers for Environmental Information . July 21, 2024 . 2023.
  108. Illinois Event Report: EF0 Tornado . National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky . National Centers for Environmental Information . November 20, 2023 . 2023.
  109. Illinois Event Report: EFU Tornado . National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois . National Centers for Environmental Information . July 21, 2024 . 2023.
  110. Illinois Event Report: EFU Tornado . National Weather Service in Davenport, Iowa . National Centers for Environmental Information . November 20, 2023 . 2023.
  111. Illinois Event Report: EF1 Tornado . National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois . National Centers for Environmental Information . November 20, 2023 . 2023.
  112. Illinois Event Report: EF2 Tornado . National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois . National Centers for Environmental Information . November 20, 2023 . 2023.