Clay County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17025 · population 13,270 · 468 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 447 records for Clay County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 286 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (194 records). The deadliest single record is the July 18, 2019 excessive heat, filed for the forecast zone Clay, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 2002, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm” on March 17, 2011.
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
- 447on 286 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 321 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $76Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 22strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 5latest 2020
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 Clay County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 194 since 1973. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1973 fell in May and June. 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 | 194 | 118 | 1973-2026 | 0 | 7 | $3.7M | 43 of 102 |
| Hail | 85 | 65 | 1984-2026 | 0 | 0 | $36K | 43 of 102 |
| Floods | 72 | 59 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 24 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 32 | 32 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 1 | $1.0M | 89 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 18 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 13 | $18M | 75 of 102 |
| Heat | 14 | 14 | 1997-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 55 of 102 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | $41M | 71 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 7 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $27K | 85 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 83 of 102 |
| Lightning | 5 | 5 | 2012-2016 | 0 | 0 | $202K | 17 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 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 Clay County had?
NOAA records 22 tornadoes in Clay County from 1957 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 13 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 19 tornadoes whose track touched Clay County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 22: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-02 16:45, as SPC files it | Olney | F4 | 23 mi | 0 |
| 1957-12-18 17:00, as SPC files it | Clay | F3 | 19.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Clay County (22)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | Louisville, Clay County | EF1 4.27 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Iola, Clay County | EF0 0.35 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-02-19 | Bible Grove, Clay County | EF0 0.14 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2024-05-26 | Oskaloosa, Clay County | EF2 3.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.4M |
| 2021-05-27 | Sailor Spgs, Clay County | EF0 2.76 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
| 2021-05-27 | Louisville, Clay County | EFU 0.22 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-23 | Xenia, Clay County | EF0 0.73 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Clay City, Clay County | EF1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $669K |
| 2009-03-08 | Camp Travis, Clay County | EF0 0.91 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 2004-05-30 | Clay City, Clay County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-30 | Flora, Clay County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-08 | Oskaloosa, Clay County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-27 | Flora, Clay County | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1998-06-14 | Flora, Clay County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-15 | Clay City, Clay County | F2 6.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 1998-04-15 | Flora, Clay County | F2 9.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 8 | $3.8M |
| 1996-04-19 | Xenia, Clay County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-06-02 | Clay County | F4 5.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-06-08 | Clay County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-03-06 | Clay County | F1 24.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-05-06 | Clay County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-12-18 | Clay County | F3 7.7 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Clay County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 19, 2026 tornado ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A tornado developed near Scooter Drive in Clay County. It tracked northeast, moving into Effingham County and tracking east of Edgewood. The maximum intensity of this tornado was EF-0, with damage limited to tree branches. The total duration of this tornado was four minutes, one minute in Clay County and three minutes in Effingham County.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1317796)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Flash FloodXenia, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindXenia, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | HailXenia, Clay County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoLouisville, Clay County | EF1 4.27 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Flash FloodLouisville, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Flash FloodBible Grove, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-18 | Flash FloodMc Cabe, Clay County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-04 | HailBible Grove, Clay County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-04 | HailHoosier, Clay County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-04 | HailHord, Clay County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailFlora, Clay County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindLouisville, Clay County | 52 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-07-18 | Excessive HeatClay County · forecast zone Clay An 81-year old man died of heatstroke while doing outdoor yard work in Flora in Clay County on July 18th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-12-16 | Winter WeatherClay County · forecast zone Clay Freezing drizzle created slick and hazardous roadways during the late evening of December 16th into the pre-dawn hours of the 17th. A vehicle slid off a bridge and landed upside down in a creek bed in rural Clay County, killing one man. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-08 | Winter WeatherClay County · forecast zone Clay An elderly woman died in a car accident as a result of icy road conditions. The accident happened on Blue Mound Road about 5 miles south of Flora. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-04-15 | TornadoFlora, Clay County A severe thunderstorm, which originated in eastern Missouri, travelled to the east across southern Illinois. It produced numerous tornadoes. When it moved into our county warning area, it produced two tornadoes over Clay County. The first tornado touched down 3 miles west southwest of Flora. As it travelled to the ... | F2 9.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 8 | $3.8M |
| 2002-04-27 | TornadoFlora, Clay County A tornado touched down 2 miles southwest of Flora near the intersection of county road 1000E and 200N. At this location, it turned an unattached garage on its foundation. As the tornado travelled east along 200N it destroyed a mobile home. The three occupants sustained minor injuries. Debris from the mobile home was ... | F1 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2011-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindFlora, Clay County A large tree limb was blown down onto a car along Route 50 west of Flora. 3 people inside the car were injured. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $13K |
| 2004-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Clay County Thunderstorm winds caused widespread damage throughout Clay County. However, the hardest hit areas were Flora and Clay City. The majority of the damage was to trees and power lines. Numerous structures sustained damage due to the trees falling on them. Also, several barns and grain bins were destroyed and a couple of ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 3 | – |
| 2016-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindIngraham, Clay County A mobile home was blown over and destroyed, injuring one person inside. A grain bin was blown 200 feet. | 78 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $123K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-06-23 | Flash FloodCruse, Clay County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2024-05-26 | TornadoOskaloosa, Clay County | EF2 3.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $9.4M |
| 1998-04-15 | TornadoFlora, Clay County | F2 9.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 8 | $3.8M |
| 2011-02-01 | Ice StormClay County · forecast zone Clay | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | |
| 2011-05-25 | TornadoClay City, Clay County | EF1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $669K |
| 1998-04-15 | TornadoClay City, Clay County | F2 6.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 2016-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindIngraham, Clay County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $123K |
| 2021-05-27 | TornadoSailor Spgs, Clay County | EF0 2.76 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $49K |
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: December 18, 1957 (tornado, Clay County); June 2, 1990 (tornado, Clay 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 Clay 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 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 44 | 75 | 50 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 29 | 28 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 34 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1973 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 22 · Feb 22 · Mar 22 · Apr 61 · May 90 · Jun 93 · Jul 46 · Aug 53 · Sep 13 · Oct 9 · Nov 3 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clay County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Clay County: 3 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and snowstorm (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4489 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3435 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-03-17 | DR-1960 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3230 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-05-21 | DR-1416 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and 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 Clay County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 72 flood or flash flood records for Clay County from 1998 to 2026, on 59 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clay County ranks 2636th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $29,000 on 4 claims filed in Clay County; the most in one year was 2 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1999: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2020: 1; 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 Clay County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clay County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 1.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $640K | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.9M | once in about 161 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $587K | 8.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $193K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $667K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $44K | 6.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $842K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clay 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 Clay CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clay County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis