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Illinois · County tornado history

Effingham County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 24 tornadoes in Effingham County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.1 years. That ranks it 61 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on May 6, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
24
Since 2000
7
Strongest
F3, March 6, 1961
Most recent
EF-U, May 6, 2021
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
50
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Effingham County

April has brought the most, 7 of 24. About 62% 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) 8
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Effingham County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 6, 1961 F3 21.2 mi 10 yd 3
April 26, 1994 F2 6 mi 50 yd 3
March 15, 1959 F2 2 mi 10 yd 2
April 17, 1960 F2 21.9 mi 200 yd
June 22, 1960 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 16, 2006 F2 4 mi 200 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 11.4 mi 200 yd
April 3, 2018 EF2 18.2 mi 100 yd
September 24, 1961 F1 0.3 mi 50 yd
May 15, 1967 F1 0.5 mi 20 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Effingham County was an F0 on May 1, 1983. It killed 2 people and injured 0 along its 0.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 6, 2021 EF-U 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 6, 2021 EF-U 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 3, 2018 EF2 18.2 mi 100 yd
April 27, 2016 EF0 0.1 mi 10 yd
February 20, 2014 EF1 1.5 mi 100 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 11.4 mi 200 yd
April 16, 2006 F2 4 mi 200 yd
June 1, 1999 F0 0.2 mi 10 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 Effingham County as relatively low, with a score of 64 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.39 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,323,751 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 Effingham County had?

24 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 7 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Effingham County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on May 6, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Effingham County?

An F3 on March 6, 1961, with a 21.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Effingham County?

April 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.