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Illinois · County tornado history

Fayette County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 23 tornadoes in Fayette County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.3 years. That ranks it 64 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on December 10, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
23
Since 2000
12
Strongest
F3, April 5, 1958
Most recent
EF2, December 10, 2021
Peak month
June (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
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 Fayette County

June has brought the most, 6 of 23. About 61% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 22% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 7
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 9
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Fayette County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 5, 1958 F3 60.5 mi 100 yd 1 8
November 9, 1984 F2 30 mi 150 yd 11
July 21, 1954 F2 26.1 mi 200 yd 1
December 10, 2021 EF2 41.5 mi 690 yd 1
October 10, 1959 F2 48.7 mi 33 yd
June 1, 1999 F2 10 mi 150 yd
February 28, 2011 EF2 1.3 mi 90 yd
February 28, 2011 EF2 0.1 mi 50 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 11.4 mi 200 yd
April 3, 2018 EF2 18.2 mi 100 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Fayette County was an F3 on April 5, 1958. It killed 1 person and injured 8 along its 60.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 10, 2021 EF2 41.5 mi 690 yd 1
April 3, 2018 EF2 18.2 mi 100 yd
February 20, 2014 EF1 4.8 mi 50 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 11.4 mi 200 yd
February 28, 2011 EF2 0.1 mi 50 yd
February 28, 2011 EF1 0.1 mi 10 yd
February 28, 2011 EF2 1.3 mi 90 yd
June 27, 2008 EF0 1.5 mi 40 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 Fayette County as relatively low, with a score of 53 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.64 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,345,759 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 Fayette County had?

23 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Fayette County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on December 10, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Fayette County?

An F3 on April 5, 1958, with a 60.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Fayette 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.