Cass County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17017 · population 13,037 · 376 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 319 records for Cass County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 261 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (107 records). The deadliest single record is the April 8, 1999 tornado: 1 death, 6 injuries and $3.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1973, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on December 13, 2021.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 319on 261 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 37 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $65Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 2021
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Cass County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 107 since 1955. The rank column places the county among Illinois's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 107 | 89 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 53 of 102 |
| Hail | 57 | 47 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 0 | $131K | 53 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 54 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $202K | 49 of 102 |
| Floods | 36 | 30 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | 48 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 13 | 1960-2025 | 1 | 7 | $6.0M | 84 of 102 |
| Heat | 15 | 15 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 102 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 2012-2026 | 0 | 0 | $37M | 34 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 9 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 0 | – | 54 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 102 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Cass County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Cass County from 1960 to 2025, the strongest rated EF2, with 1 death and 7 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 20 tornadoes whose track touched Cass County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-04-08 19:45, as SPC files it | Ashland | F1 | 9.3 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Cass County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-18 | Newmansville, Cass County | EFU 1.65 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-18 | Gurney, Cass County | EFU 1.45 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-10 | Virginia, Cass County | EF2 12.75 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-10 | Newmansville, Cass County | EFU 0.07 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-10 | Chandlerville, Cass County | EF1 2.42 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-07-10 | Virginia, Cass County | EF0 3.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-03 | Virginia, Cass County | EFU 1.48 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-05-03 | Arenzville, Cass County | EFU 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-12-01 | Beardstown, Cass County | EF1 4.23 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $235K |
| 2018-12-01 | Hagener, Cass County | EF0 0.64 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $41K |
| 2014-02-20 | Arenzville, Cass County | EF0 0.92 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-19 | Bluff Spgs, Cass County | F1 2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-04-08 | Ashland, Cass County | F1 2.2 mi x 333 yd | 1 | 6 | $3.1M |
| 1998-04-07 | Beardstown, Cass County | F0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1986-06-04 | Cass County | F0 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-08-08 | Cass County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-07-27 | Cass County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-06-23 | Cass County | F2 11.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Cass County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 1, 2019 cold/wind chill (1 death).
A 72 year-old Germantown Hills woman died of hypothermia during the early morning of February 1st. The woman had gone to her garage the night before, but had not returned to her house after several hours. Her husband eventually found her in the garage during the morning of the 1st. She was rushed to the hospital, but pronounced dead when efforts to warm her were unsuccessful.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 797647)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindVirginia, Cass County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindVirginia, Cass County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-04 | HailVirginia, Cass County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Winter WeatherCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | HailBeardstown, Cass County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-05 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-13 | Winter WeatherCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Heavy SnowCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-01 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-04-08 | TornadoAshland, Cass County The tornado first touched down half a mile northeast of Sinclair (Morgan County). As it travelled to the northeast, it flipped over a mobile home and destroyed a barn near Yatesville. Nearby two outbuildings and a hog shelter were destroyed. As it approached Prentice, the tornado destroyed a small shed and carried ... | F1 2.2 mi x 333 yd | 1 | 6 | $3.1M |
| 2019-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillCass County · forecast zone Cass A 72 year-old Germantown Hills woman died of hypothermia during the early morning of February 1st. The woman had gone to her garage the night before, but had not returned to her house after several hours. Her husband eventually found her in the garage during the morning of the 1st. She was rushed to the hospital, but ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-01-12 | Ice StormCass County · forecast zone Cass A man was killed near Virginia when his car slid off a road and flipped several times. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1960-06-23 | TornadoCass County | F2 11.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-09-01 | DroughtCass County · forecast zone Cass | 0 | 0 | $37M | |
| 1999-08-12 | Thunderstorm WindBeardstown, Cass County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2010-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindBeardstown, Cass County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.7M |
| 1996-05-08 | Flash FloodCountywide, Cass County | 0 | 0 | $3.8M | |
| 1999-04-08 | TornadoAshland, Cass County | F1 2.2 mi x 333 yd | 1 | 6 | $3.1M |
| 2000-04-20 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Cass County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 2018-12-01 | TornadoBeardstown, Cass County | EF1 4.23 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $235K |
| 2018-06-10 | HailBluff Spgs, Cass County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $118K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 23, 1960 (tornado, Cass County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Cass County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 32 | 22 | 11 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 21 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 15 | 11 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Cass County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 24 · Mar 22 · Apr 23 · May 51 · Jun 40 · Jul 39 · Aug 32 · Sep 24 · Oct 8 · Nov 11 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cass County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Cass County: 17 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (7) and severe storm (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-13 | EM-3577 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4489 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3435 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-09-19 | DR-4461 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2013-05-10 | DR-4116 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-03-17 | DR-1960 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2008-10-03 | DR-1800 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3230 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-05-21 | DR-1416 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1999-01-08 | EM-3134 | Snowstorm | Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99 |
| 1996-05-06 | DR-1112 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1995-05-30 | DR-1053 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-04-26 | DR-1025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-07-09 | DR-997 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-06-22 | DR-871 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1985-03-29 | DR-735 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1983-06-06 | DR-684 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1982-12-13 | DR-674 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1979-04-30 | DR-583 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-06-10 | DR-438 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-04-26 | DR-373 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Cass County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 36 flood or flash flood records for Cass County from 1996 to 2023, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cass County ranks 1038th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $980,000 on 167 claims filed in Cass County; the most in one year was 36 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 22 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 36 · 1983: 9 · 1985: 20 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1993: 26 · 1994: 3 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 7 · 2002: 12 · 2008: 2 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Cass County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cass County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.2 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.0M | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 4.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $780K | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $731K | 8.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $172K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $602K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | once in about 7 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $248K | once in about 444 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cass County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in IllinoisEvery Illinois tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in IllinoisThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Illinois recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Cass CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cass County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis