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Illinois · County tornado history

Will County, Illinois tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 97 tornadoes in Will County, Illinois from 1950 through 2024, about 1.3 a year. That ranks it 2 of 102 counties in Illinois with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on July 15, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
97
Since 2000
52
Strongest
F5, August 28, 1990
Most recent
EF1, July 15, 2024
Peak month
June (25)
Per 1,000 sq mi
114
FEMA tornado risk
Very 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 Will County

June has brought the most, 25 of 97. About 59% 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) 40
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 34
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 14
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1
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 Will County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 28, 1990 F5 16.4 mi 600 yd 29 350
June 29, 1979 F4 5.4 mi 100 yd 1
April 27, 1984 F3 9 mi 200 yd 1 5
March 27, 1991 F3 15 mi 200 yd 7
June 22, 2015 EF3 16.3 mi 1,320 yd 7
April 23, 1961 F3 51.7 mi 10 yd 4
July 17, 1972 F3 81.5 mi 200 yd
November 12, 1965 F2 35.9 mi 120 yd 2 90
April 6, 1972 F2 6.8 mi 50 yd 1 22
June 7, 2008 EF2 6.5 mi 150 yd 6

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Will County was an F5 on August 28, 1990. It killed 29 people and injured 350 along its 16.4-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 15, 2024 EF1 29.1 mi 300 yd
July 15, 2024 EF0 6.4 mi 100 yd
July 15, 2024 EF0 2.9 mi 300 yd
July 15, 2024 EF0 17 mi 300 yd
July 15, 2024 EF2 34.6 mi 325 yd 2
July 15, 2024 EF1 19.5 mi 250 yd 2
July 15, 2024 EF1 19.2 mi 200 yd
July 28, 2023 EF-U 1.5 mi 15 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 Will County as very high, with a score of 99 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.62 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $63,112,921 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 Will County had?

97 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 52 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Will County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on July 15, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Will County?

An F5 on August 28, 1990, with a 16.4-mile path.

When is tornado season in Will 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.