Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Illinois · County tornado history

Sangamon County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 92 tornadoes in Sangamon County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about 1.2 a year. That ranks it 3 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on August 6, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
92
Since 2000
47
Strongest
F4, June 14, 1957
Most recent
EF2, August 6, 2023
Peak month
August (23)
Per 1,000 sq mi
105
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 Sangamon County

August has brought the most, 23 of 92. About 75% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 33
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 34
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 15
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
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) 4

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 Sangamon County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 14, 1957 F4 4.3 mi 220 yd 2 50
April 22, 1963 F3 42.9 mi 10 yd 1 5
August 19, 2009 EF3 24.3 mi 880 yd 19
May 9, 1995 F3 50 mi 880 yd 6
August 6, 1977 F3 4.1 mi 100 yd
July 26, 1978 F3 8.9 mi 177 yd
March 12, 2006 F2 67 mi 880 yd 20
March 12, 2006 F2 12.5 mi 200 yd 4
August 19, 2009 EF2 19.1 mi 440 yd 3
June 23, 1960 F2 34.9 mi 100 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Sangamon County was an F4 on June 14, 1957. It killed 2 people and injured 50 along its 4.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 6, 2023 EF2 25.3 mi 450 yd
June 29, 2023 EF2 9.1 mi 800 yd
March 31, 2023 EF2 21 mi 200 yd
March 31, 2023 EF2 5.4 mi 400 yd
January 3, 2023 EF-U 0.1 mi 10 yd
May 3, 2021 EF-U 0.6 mi 50 yd
May 3, 2021 EF-U 0.4 mi 50 yd
May 3, 2021 EF-U 0.3 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 Sangamon County as relatively high, with a score of 97 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.93 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $19,864,381 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 Sangamon County had?

92 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 47 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Sangamon County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on August 6, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Sangamon County?

An F4 on June 14, 1957, with a 4.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Sangamon County?

August 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.