DuPage County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17043 · population 932,368 · 328 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,203 records for DuPage County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 552 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (513 records). The deadliest single record is the February 1, 2011 blizzard, filed for the forecast zone Du Page, which covers the county: 4 deaths and $98,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1967, 14 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding” on May 10, 2013.
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
- 1,203on 552 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15149 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $138Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 48strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 DuPage County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 513 since 1963. 58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. 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 | 513 | 195 | 1963-2026 | 4 | 88 | $9.0M | 1 of 102 |
| Hail | 255 | 117 | 1961-2026 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 1 of 102 |
| Floods | 148 | 91 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $40M | 10 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 93 | 1997-2026 | 4 | 2 | $392K | 16 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 58 | 39 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $229K | 18 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 35 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 55 | $86M | 1 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 28 | 28 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | – | 23 of 102 |
| Lightning | 19 | 19 | 2001-2023 | 2 | 4 | $2.2M | 1 of 102 |
| Drought | 15 | 15 | 2005-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 102 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 102 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 9 | 2017-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2000-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 102 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 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 DuPage County had?
NOAA records 48 tornadoes in DuPage County from 1955 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 55 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 102 Illinois counties and 29th of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 46 tornadoes whose track touched DuPage County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 48: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 0 of them in DuPage County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-06-13 16:18, as SPC files it | Lemont to Burr Ridge | F4 | 3.3 mi | 2 |
| 1976-03-12 13:20, as SPC files it | Elmhurst to Skokie | F2 | 15.1 mi | 2 |
| 2021-06-20 22:02, as SPC files it | Naperville | EF3 | 17.6 mi | 0 |
| 1976-03-12 12:50, as SPC files it | Oswego to Naperville | F3 | 22.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for DuPage County (48)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Munger, DuPage County | EF1 2.24 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Naperville, DuPage County | EF0 1.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | Hanover Park, DuPage County | EF0 0.78 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-15 | Bensenville, DuPage County | EF0 1.3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-15 | Villa Park, DuPage County | EF0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-07-15 | Flowerfield, DuPage County | EF0 3.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-22 | Downers Grove, DuPage County | EF0 0.86 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-22 | Butterfield, DuPage County | EF0 1.19 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-06-22 | West Chicago, DuPage County | EF0 7.82 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-07-14 | Warrenhurst, DuPage County | EF0 8.74 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-07-12 | Itasca, DuPage County | EF0 3.12 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-07-12 | Carol Stream, DuPage County | EF0 2.88 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-07-12 | Burr Ridge, DuPage County | EF1 0.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-31 | Villa Park, DuPage County | EF1 1.57 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-02-27 | Naperville, DuPage County | EF0 1.4 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-07-23 | Aurora, DuPage County | EF0 0.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-06-13 | Roselle, DuPage County | EF0 1.4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-04-30 | Westmont, DuPage County | EF0 1.9 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-06-20 | Addison, DuPage County | EF0 0.4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-06-20 | Naperville, DuPage County | EF3 14.8 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 11 | – |
| 2020-08-10 | Lombard, DuPage County | EF1 2.15 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-08-10 | Wheaton, DuPage County | EF1 0.36 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-08-18 | Downers Grove, DuPage County | EF0 0.24 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2015-08-18 | Woodridge, DuPage County | EF0 2.26 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-21 | The Meadows, DuPage County | EF1 2.06 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $656K |
| 2008-08-04 | Bloomingdale, DuPage County | EF1 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 2008-08-04 | Cloverdale, DuPage County | EF1 0.55 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2007-08-23 | Winfield, DuPage County | EF1 2.67 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 1997-07-18 | Wheaton, DuPage County | F1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-04-23 | DuPage County | F1 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1978-08-02 | DuPage County | F0 4.1 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1976-06-13 | DuPage County | F4 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1976-03-12 | DuPage County | F2 | 0 | 25 | $2.5M step |
| 1976-03-12 | DuPage County | F3 14.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1975-06-18 | DuPage County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-06-20 | DuPage County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1972-07-17 | DuPage County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1971-08-24 | DuPage County | F2 1 mi x 83 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1969-07-26 | DuPage County | F1 5.1 mi x 37 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-04-21 | DuPage County | F1 6.8 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-04-21 | DuPage County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1966-04-19 | DuPage County | F2 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-11-12 | DuPage County | F2 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-06-23 | DuPage County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1965-05-26 | DuPage County | F2 13.8 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 11 | $250K step |
| 1961-09-30 | DuPage County | F1 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-26 | DuPage County | F2 9.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1955-04-28 | DuPage County | F1 9.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M 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 DuPage County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the July 27, 2025 flash flood ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HeatDuPage County · forecast zone Du Page | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | FloodNaperville, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | FloodAddison, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | FloodBloomingdale, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindCloverdale, DuPage County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-24 | Thunderstorm WindHanover Park, DuPage County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | High WindDuPage County · forecast zone Du Page | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-17 | High WindDuPage County · forecast zone Du Page | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindWoodridge, DuPage County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoMunger, DuPage County | EF1 2.24 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoNaperville, DuPage County | EF0 1.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindWoodridge, DuPage County | 50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-01 | BlizzardDuPage County · forecast zone Du Page Four men died from heart attacks while shoveling snow including a 61 year old man and a 62 year old man, both in Carol Stream; a 69 year old man in Glendale Heights and a 69 year old man in Downers Grove. | 4 | 0 | $98K | |
| 2015-08-02 | Thunderstorm WindWood Dale, DuPage County A tent collapsed during a thunderstorm at the Wood Dale Prairie Fest killing a 35 year old man and injuring 20 other people, three seriously. One of the three seriously injured, an 81 year old woman, died from her injuries in January 2016. | 60 kt wind | 2 | 19 | – |
| 2005-06-26 | LightningRoselle, DuPage County Two people were struck by lightning in their backyard. A 15 year old male was taken to the hospital where he died. A 51 year old male recovered from his injuries. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-02-03 | Cold/Wind ChillDuPage County · forecast zone Du Page A 96 year old woman who used a wheelchair, was left on a transport bus in Westmont during the afternoon of February 2nd. She was found unresponsive on the bus around 1030 am on February 3rd and then pronounced dead. The low temperature at the National Weather Service Office in Romeoville was 8 degrees on the morning ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-05-15 | FloodWinfield, DuPage County An 18 year old woman attempted to cross a flooded pedestrian bridge in the Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve and was swept away. A witness said water from the West Branch DuPage River was waist deep over the bridge. The woman's body was found several days later. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2013-05-30 | LightningThe Meadows, DuPage County A 17 year old girl was struck by lightning in O'Brien Park. Police found her unconscious and not breathing, she was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-01-01 | Cold/Wind ChillDuPage County · forecast zone Du Page A 65 year old man died of hypothermia outside his home in Bartlett in Dupage County after being dropped off by taxi-cab. He apparently fractured his humerus after a fall due to alcohol intoxication. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-07-24 | FloodMunger, DuPage County After heavy rain fell during the early morning hours of July 24th, flooding continued across many areas of Dupage County, especially near creeks and rivers. A 56 year old man drowned in a pond in Keeneyville after his paddle boat capsized. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | Flash FloodWoodridge, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1996-07-17 | Flash FloodSouth And Central, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | $8.3M | |
| 2013-04-18 | Flash FloodMunger, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | |
| 2010-07-24 | Flash FloodMunger, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | |
| 1995-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindGlendale Heights, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | |
| 2008-09-13 | Flash FloodMunger, DuPage County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2007-08-23 | Thunderstorm WindLombard, DuPage County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.1M |
| 2007-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindCarol Stream, DuPage County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 11 | $1.4M |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 12, 1976 (tornado, DuPage County); April 28, 1955 (tornado, DuPage County); March 12, 1976 (tornado, DuPage 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 DuPage 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 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 23 | 123 | 143 | 184 |
| Hail | 0 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 99 | 76 | 47 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 38 | 50 | 55 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 25 | 28 | 34 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 12 | 13 | 28 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 54 · Feb 54 · Mar 78 · Apr 84 · May 117 · Jun 241 · Jul 243 · Aug 191 · Sep 38 · Oct 41 · Nov 35 · Dec 27 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for DuPage County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include DuPage County: 11 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4489 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3435 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-05-10 | DR-4116 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-03-17 | DR-1960 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2010-08-19 | DR-1935 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-10-03 | DR-1800 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3230 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-01-17 | EM-3161 | Snowstorm | Illinois Winter Snow Storms |
| 1999-01-08 | EM-3134 | Snowstorm | Il-Winter Storm 1/1/99 |
| 1996-07-25 | DR-1129 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1987-08-21 | DR-798 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-01-16 | EM-3068 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1976-06-18 | DR-509 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1974-06-10 | DR-438 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-09-04 | DR-351 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1967-04-25 | DR-227 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 DuPage County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 148 flood or flash flood records for DuPage County from 1996 to 2026, on 91 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), DuPage County ranks 119th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $55.6 million on 3,607 claims filed in DuPage County; the most in one year was 651 in 1987. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 98 · 1979: 255 · 1980: 45 · 1981: 24 · 1982: 202 · 1983: 136 · 1984: 13 · 1985: 112 · 1986: 14 · 1987: 651 · 1988: 4 · 1989: 27 · 1990: 49 · 1991: 6 · 1992: 4 · 1993: 8 · 1994: 17 · 1995: 6 · 1996: 183 · 1997: 75 · 1998: 12 · 1999: 28 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 106 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 2 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 55 · 2007: 24 · 2008: 403 · 2009: 12 · 2010: 199 · 2011: 35 · 2012: 4 · 2013: 521 · 2014: 32 · 2015: 35 · 2016: 12 · 2017: 42 · 2018: 14 · 2019: 12 · 2020: 67 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 33.
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 DuPage County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates DuPage County Relatively High overall, with an expected annual loss of $366 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 | Very High | $72M | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very High | $67M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Very High | $11M | 5.8 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $195M | 2.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $2.7M | 42 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $452K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.6M | 3.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $11M | once in about 772 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with DuPage 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 DuPage CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download DuPage County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis