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Illinois · County tornado history

Pike County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 35 tornadoes in Pike County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.1 years. That ranks it 40 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF-U on March 23, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
35
Since 2000
23
Strongest
F3, May 14, 1961
Most recent
EF-U, March 23, 2021
Peak month
May (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
41
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 Pike County

May has brought the most, 10 of 35. About 69% touched down between 5 pm and 11 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 17% 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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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) 1

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 Pike County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 14, 1961 F3 127.1 mi 100 yd 8
April 24, 1961 F3 64.2 mi 10 yd 3
March 12, 2006 F2 67 mi 880 yd 20
June 14, 1957 F2 18.5 mi 10 yd 1
February 20, 2014 EF2 12.1 mi 80 yd 1
June 19, 1956 F2 14 mi 10 yd
June 10, 1957 F2 42.3 mi 10 yd
February 11, 1999 F2 21.1 mi 0 yd
April 8, 1999 F2 27.3 mi 120 yd
June 24, 1993 F1 0.2 mi 20 yd

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

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 23, 2021 EF-U 1.5 mi 10 yd
December 1, 2018 EF1 0.6 mi 110 yd
December 1, 2018 EF0 0.1 mi 25 yd
December 1, 2018 EF1 1.6 mi 25 yd
May 15, 2018 EF0 0.9 mi 50 yd
February 20, 2014 EF2 12.1 mi 80 yd 1
May 30, 2008 EF0 3.9 mi 40 yd
May 30, 2008 EF1 1.4 mi 50 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 Pike County as relatively low, with a score of 33 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.63 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $596,828 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 Pike County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Pike County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF-U on March 23, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pike County?

An F3 on May 14, 1961, with a 127.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pike County?

May 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.