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Illinois · County tornado history

Champaign County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 83 tornadoes in Champaign County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about 1.1 a year. That ranks it 5 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
83
Since 2000
39
Strongest
F4, March 20, 1976
Most recent
EF1, March 31, 2023
Peak month
June (25)
Per 1,000 sq mi
83
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Champaign County

June has brought the most, 25 of 83. About 64% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 44
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 8
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Champaign County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 20, 1976 F4 63.7 mi 800 yd 18
April 9, 1953 F3 156.7 mi 750 yd 3 22
April 19, 1996 F3 2 mi 1,500 yd 1 13
April 3, 1974 F3 5.9 mi 70 yd 1
April 19, 1996 F3 4 mi 220 yd 12
November 17, 2013 EF3 29.8 mi 880 yd 6
April 22, 1963 F3 31.8 mi 200 yd 5
April 3, 1974 F3 14.9 mi 350 yd
November 17, 2013 EF3 18.7 mi 440 yd
January 24, 1967 F2 10.4 mi 50 yd 5

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Champaign County was an F3 on April 9, 1953. It killed 3 people and injured 22 along its 156.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF1 10.8 mi 500 yd 2
February 27, 2023 EF-U 1.5 mi 25 yd
February 27, 2023 EF0 1.1 mi 30 yd
July 12, 2021 EF0 0.7 mi 50 yd
June 25, 2021 EF-U 0.1 mi 25 yd
May 26, 2019 EF1 1 mi 250 yd
May 26, 2019 EF1 0.8 mi 250 yd
May 26, 2019 EF1 0.9 mi 250 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Champaign County as relatively high, with a score of 95 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.96 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $12,593,034 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Champaign County had?

83 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 39 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Champaign County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Champaign County?

An F4 on March 20, 1976, with a 63.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Champaign County?

June has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.