Southern Illinois tornado history

Listed below are confirmed killer tornadoes listed by date. Modern record keeping in the region began in the 1880s, although there were undoubtedly many other deaths that have been lost to history. It is important to note that before the 1950s tornadoes were not officially ranked. The current rakings are an estimation due to the accounts of witnesses.

Southern Illinois tornadoes by death toll

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
0	0	0	3	4	8	2	17

March 19, 1883
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	Alton to Bunker Hill	Monroe	Unknown	Unknown	33 deaths

November 6, 1885
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F3	SE of Sacramento to N of Carmi	White	1645	16 miles (26 km)	1 death

April 22, 1887
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	Mt. Carmel to near the White River, IN	Wabash Illinois - Gibson, Pike	1800	30 miles (48 km)	5 deaths

June 3, 1887
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F1	Old Shawneetown	Gallitan	Unknown	Unknown	3 deaths

February 19, 1888
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	Mt. Vernon	Jefferson	1630	20 miles (32 km)	24 deaths The southern half of Mt. Vernon was destroyed. 300 homes and 50 businesses were destroyed or damaged

March 27, 1890
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	NW of Shawneetown to N of Carbondale	Cape Girardeau, Perry Missouri - Jackson Illinois	1620	30 miles (48 km)	7 deaths
F4	NW of Thebes to Stonefort	Scott Missouri - Alexander, Union, Johnson, Williamson Illinois	1645	55 miles (89 km)	2 deaths
F3	W of Sparta to ENE of Nashville	Randolph, Washington	1715	40 miles (64 km)	2 deaths
F4	Metropolis to West Louisville	Massac Illinois - McCracken, Pope, Livingston, Crittenden, Webster, McClean, Daviess Kentucky	1715	95 miles (153 km)	21 deaths Likely a family of tornadoes
F2	W of Carmi to Crossville	White	1800	5 miles (8.0 km)	1 deaths

May 27, 1896
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	St. Louis, Missouri to East St. Louis, Illinois	St. Louis City, Missouri - St.Clair, Illinois	Unknown	Unknown	118 deaths in Southern Illinois 282+ deaths overall - See section on this tornado

March 18, 1925
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F5	NNW of Ellington, Missouri to 10 mi (16 km) NE of Princeton, Indiana	Reynolds, Iron, Madison, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Missouri - Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Illinois - Posey, Gibson, Pike, Indiana	1301	234 miles (377 km)	613 deaths in Southern Illinois 695 deaths overall Deadliest single tornado in US history. Most extreme tornado in recorded history. Holds the record longest path length (219 miles, 352 km), longest duration (about 3.5 hours), and fastest forward speed for a significant tornado (73 mph, 117 km/h). Unlike other earlier tornadoes on this list, this tornado is now believed to be one single tornado, not a tornado family See section on this tornado

December 18, 1957
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F5	N of Du Quoin to W of Sesser	Perry	1635	5 miles	1 death. 6 injuries. Caused $50,000-$500,000 in damages. Touched down in a mostly rural area.
F4	Murphysboro to rural Franklin County	Jackson, Williamson, Franklin	1645	Unknown	11 deaths
F4	Mt. Vernon area	Jefferson	1555	Unknown	1 death

March 30, 1982
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F2	Ina area	Jefferson	2030	0.8 miles	1 death

May 29, 1982
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	WNW of Carterville to E of Marion	Williamson	1405	17 miles	10 deaths 52 businesses and 300 homes were destroyed, 324 homes were damaged, and over 200 cars destroyed. Over 200 were injured and 1,000 left homeless. See section on this tornado

December 2, 1982
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F3	New Baden area	Clinton	2110	11 miles	1 death

April 5, 1985
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F2	SW of Clarmin area	Randolph	458	1.8 miles	1 death

June 2, 1990
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	N of Aden to Mt. Carmel	Hamilton, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash	1720	43 miles	1 death

April 21, 2002
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F3	1.5 mi NE of Bluford to Ellery	Clinton, Wayne	1449	31.5 miles	1 death
F3	W of Wayne City to Ellery	Wayne	1451	30 miles (52.8 km)	1 death Vehicles were picked up and deposited in houses. Well-constructed houses lost roofs and some walls. Weaker structures, including a tavern near Sims, were demolished.
F3	9 W Dongola to 7 E Dongola	Union	0018	16 miles	1 death A train was blown off the tracks. Several wood houses were demolished, and seven double-wide trailers were destroyed. Approximately 75 homes were damaged. A recreational vehicle was tossed across Lake Dongola and impaled into the ground.

May 6, 2003
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F4	N of New Grand Chain to N of Golconda	Pulaski, Massac, Pope	2032	33 miles (52.8 km)	2 deaths Several homes were destroyed while several others sustained minor to severe damage while other structures including frame homes (including being swept away from its foundation), mobile homes, two businesses, outbuildings and a campground were destroyed. A Conservation Area sustained severe damage to its facilities. Thirteen people were also injured. See section on this tornado

April 2, 2006
F#	Location	County	Time (local)	Path length	Damage
F2	SW of Fairview Heights to 4 mi NE of Fairview Heights	St. Clair	1615	7 miles	1 death

See also

• Climate of Illinois
• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• St. Louis tornado history

External links

• The Tri-State Tornado (The Tornado Project)
• 1925 Tri-State Tornado (NWS Paducah, KY)
• The Weather Channel's Storm of the Century list - #7 The Tri-State Tornado
• The Great Tri-State Tornado (RootsWeb Genealogy)
• Newspaper Coverage of the Tri-State Tornado Ravage of Murphysboro (NIU Library)
• Tri-State Tornado: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, March 1925 (Popular Mechanics)
• The 1925 Tornado (Carolyar.com Genealogy)
• 1925 Monster Tornado Killed Hundreds Led to Development of Warning System

Books

• The Tri-State Tornado: The Story of America's Greatest Tornado Disaster, by Peter S. Felknor. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1992. 131 pages. ISBN 0-8138-0623-2.
• The Forgotten Storm: The Great Tri-state Tornado of 1925, by Wallace E. Akin. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2002. 173 pages. ISBN 1-58574-607-X.