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Illinois · County tornado history

Cook County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 86 tornadoes in Cook County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about 1.1 a year. That ranks it 4 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on July 15, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
86
Since 2000
43
Strongest
F4, June 13, 1976
Most recent
EF0, July 15, 2024
Peak month
July (23)
Per 1,000 sq mi
90
FEMA tornado risk
Very 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 Cook County

July has brought the most, 23 of 86. About 62% touched down between 4 pm and 10 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) 34
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 32
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 16
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

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 Cook County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 21, 1967 F4 15 mi 200 yd 33 500
June 13, 1976 F4 3.3 mi 1,760 yd 2 23
June 20, 2021 EF3 17.6 mi 600 yd 11
March 27, 1991 F3 15 mi 200 yd 7
November 12, 1965 F2 35.9 mi 120 yd 2 90
March 12, 1976 F2 15.1 mi 150 yd 2 66
March 4, 1961 F2 7.9 mi 100 yd 1 115
June 9, 1966 F2 2.5 mi 10 yd 1 30
May 26, 1965 F2 13.8 mi 70 yd 11
June 23, 1962 F2 0.5 mi 100 yd 10

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Cook County was an F4 on April 21, 1967. It killed 33 people and injured 500 along its 15-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 15, 2024 EF0 1.4 mi 150 yd
July 15, 2024 EF1 3.1 mi 400 yd
July 15, 2024 EF1 3.2 mi 150 yd
July 15, 2024 EF0 0.4 mi 125 yd
July 15, 2024 EF1 5.5 mi 250 yd
July 15, 2024 EF0 0.4 mi 85 yd
July 15, 2024 EF0 5.7 mi 300 yd
July 15, 2024 EF1 2.1 mi 75 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 Cook County as very high, with a score of 100 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 1.04 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $344,681,902 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 Cook County had?

86 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 43 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Cook County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on July 15, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Cook County?

An F4 on June 13, 1976, with a 3.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Cook County?

July 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.