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

Wayne County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 30 tornadoes in Wayne County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.5 years. That ranks it 49 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 14, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
30
Since 2000
15
Strongest
F4, June 2, 1990
Most recent
EF1, March 14, 2024
Peak month
March (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
42
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 Wayne County

March has brought the most, 7 of 30. About 60% 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) 9
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 8
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 8
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
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 Wayne County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 2, 1990 F4 106 mi 300 yd 1 12
June 2, 1990 F4 23 mi 300 yd 2
April 21, 2002 F3 31.5 mi 500 yd 1 42
December 18, 1957 F3 19.6 mi 200 yd 1
April 19, 1996 F3 17 mi 400 yd
January 7, 1989 F2 27 mi 100 yd 6
April 19, 2011 EF2 10.6 mi 150 yd 2
July 11, 1958 F2 32.9 mi 50 yd 1
March 6, 1961 F2 112.1 mi 50 yd
October 16, 1989 F2 2 mi 800 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Wayne County was an F4 on June 2, 1990. It killed 1 person and injured 12 along its 106-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 14, 2024 EF1 2.8 mi 75 yd
March 30, 2022 EF0 0.3 mi 50 yd
May 6, 2021 EF0 0.5 mi 30 yd
December 23, 2015 EF1 4.3 mi 100 yd
June 23, 2014 EF0 1.8 mi 150 yd
June 23, 2014 EF0 2.9 mi 200 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 7.9 mi 300 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 9.5 mi 150 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 Wayne County as relatively low, with a score of 47 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.50 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,165,191 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 Wayne County had?

30 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Wayne County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 14, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Wayne County?

An F4 on June 2, 1990, with a 23-mile path.

When is tornado season in Wayne County?

March 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.