Grundy County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17063 · population 52,475 · 418 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 495 records for Grundy County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 348 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (197 records). The deadliest single record is the January 14, 2024 extreme cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Grundy, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1972, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes” on November 26, 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
- 495on 348 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 629 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $368Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 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 Grundy County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 197 since 1960. 52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 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 | 197 | 123 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 2 | $9.0M | 29 of 102 |
| Hail | 75 | 52 | 1980-2024 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | 55 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 68 | 68 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 12 | $511K | 42 of 102 |
| Floods | 43 | 37 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $72M | 42 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 23 | 22 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 0 | – | 28 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 20 | 1958-2024 | 0 | 14 | $284M | 46 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 20 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $143K | 28 of 102 |
| Drought | 13 | 13 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 102 |
| Heat | 12 | 12 | 2009-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 57 of 102 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 7 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 25 of 102 |
| Lightning | 9 | 8 | 2000-2013 | 0 | 0 | $416K | 9 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 0 | 0 | – | 69 of 102 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 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 Grundy County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Grundy County from 1958 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 14 injuries recorded in the county. That is 46th of 102 Illinois 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Grundy County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Grundy County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-11-12 14:35, as SPC files it | Joliet | F2 | 35.9 mi | 2 |
| 2015-06-22 20:45, as SPC files it | Coal | EF3 | 16.26 mi | 0 |
| 1972-07-17 16:45, as SPC files it | Joliet | F3 | 81.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Grundy County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-15 | Aux Sable, Grundy County | EF2 6.6 mi x 325 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-07-28 | Minooka, Grundy County | EF0 0.82 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-05-23 | Sank Ridge, Grundy County | EF0 1.97 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2020-05-17 | Pequot, Grundy County | EFU 0.52 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-02-28 | Stockdale, Grundy County | EF0 1.2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-06-22 | Gorman, Grundy County | EF0 0.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-06-22 | Langham, Grundy County | EF1 1.61 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-06-22 | Paytonville, Grundy County | EF3 7.7 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 7 | $31M |
| 2015-06-22 | Gorman, Grundy County | EF1 0.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2015-06-22 | Nettlecreek, Grundy County | EF1 5.93 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2014-06-30 | Morris Municipal Airport, Grundy County | EF0 2.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-17 | Central City, Grundy County | EF2 4.42 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | $14M |
| 2013-05-28 | Gorman, Grundy County | EF0 1.85 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2004-04-20 | Minooka, Grundy County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $119K |
| 1988-05-08 | Grundy County | F1 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-04-05 | Grundy County | F2 7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1985-06-15 | Grundy County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1984-04-27 | Grundy County | F1 2.7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1975-05-20 | Grundy County | F2 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Grundy County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1973-04-19 | Grundy County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-11-12 | Grundy County | F2 11.4 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1958-06-08 | Grundy County | F1 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Grundy County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 14, 2024 extreme cold/wind chill (1 death).
Bitterly cold air combined with winds gusting to 35 mph at times allowed wind chills to drop to 30 below to 45 below zero across all of northern Illinois from the early morning of January 14th through the morning of January 15th. The coldest wind chills of around 45 below zero occurred around and just after daybreak on January 14th. Air temperatures ranged from 10 below to 15 below zero on the morning of January 14th and from 15 below to 20 below on the morning of January 15th. Wind chills between 20 below and 30 below continued for the rest of January 15th and through the morning of January 17th when temperatures slowly warmed into the single digits above zero and winds began to diminish. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1150495)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HeatGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-24 | Heavy RainCarbon Hill, Grundy County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindDiamond, Grundy County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindCarbon Hill, Grundy County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMorris Municipal Airport, Grundy County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMorris Municipal Airport, Grundy County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMorris Municipal Airport, Grundy County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMorris, Grundy County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindMorris Municipal Airport, Grundy County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindWillow Ridge, Grundy County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindWauponsee, Grundy County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindMazon, Grundy County | 51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-14 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy Bitterly cold air combined with winds gusting to 35 mph at times allowed wind chills to drop to 30 below to 45 below zero across all of northern Illinois from the early morning of January 14th through the morning of January 15th. The coldest wind chills of around 45 below zero occurred around and just after daybreak ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-12-13 | Cold/Wind ChillGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy A 47 year old man was found outside his Morris home on the morning of December 13th and had died from cold exposure. Low temperatures were in the single digits on the morning of December 13th. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-01-01 | Cold/Wind ChillGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy Very cold air spread across northern Illinois in early January with high temperatures in the teens and low temperatures in the single digits. The coldest low temperature was 1 degree below zero at O'Hare Airport, which was measured on the morning of January 3rd. An 87 year old female died on Prater Street in Northlake ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-06-22 | Excessive HeatGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy A maintenance caretaker was found dead next to his tractor. He was mowing grass at a soccer field on Old Pine Bluff Road. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-02-07 | Cold/Wind ChillGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy Low temperatures fell into the 20s by the morning of February 7th. A man was found frozen to death outside his home in Goose Lake. He had apparently been outside all night. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-02-03 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy Morris reported a low temperature of 7 above zero on the 3rd, 4 below zero on the 4th, 8 below zero on the 5th, 8 below zero on the 6th. A 24 year old man was found dead outside a motel from the cold. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-02-14 | Winter WeatherGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy Winds gusting 40 to 50 mph combined with light snow resulted in white out conditions along a portion of Interstate 55 near Gardner, IL. Between 17 and 22 cars were involved in a pile-up. Twelve people were taken to hospitals, including two people with serious to life threatening injuries. The interstate was shut down ... | 0 | 12 | $374K | |
| 2015-06-22 | TornadoPaytonville, Grundy County The tornado touched down near Higgins Road and Dupont Road where softwood trees were snapped. The tornado moved east-southeast where trees and power poles were snapped along N Gorman Road. The most significant damage was noted as the tornado crossed S Carbon Hill Road just south of Division Street, entering Coal City. ... | EF3 7.7 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 7 | $31M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-17 | Flash FloodNorthern, Grundy County | 0 | 0 | $32M | |
| 2015-06-22 | TornadoPaytonville, Grundy County | EF3 7.7 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 7 | $31M |
| 2013-04-18 | Flash FloodNettlecreek, Grundy County | 0 | 0 | $19M | |
| 2013-11-17 | TornadoCentral City, Grundy County | EF2 4.42 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 5 | $14M |
| 2008-09-14 | Flash FloodNettlecreek, Grundy County | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2008-09-15 | FloodMorris, Grundy County | 0 | 0 | $4.1M | |
| 2003-07-07 | Thunderstorm WindMorris, Grundy County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.0M |
| 2007-08-24 | FloodMorris, Grundy County | 0 | 0 | $3.7M |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 12, 1965 (tornado, Grundy 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 Grundy 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 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 26 | 55 | 36 | 59 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 26 | 25 | 4 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 15 | 19 | 30 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 20 | 12 | 7 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 1 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
52% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 46 · Feb 36 · Mar 24 · Apr 31 · May 67 · Jun 87 · Jul 85 · Aug 60 · Sep 22 · Oct 9 · Nov 9 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Grundy County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Grundy County: 10 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 |
| 2013-11-26 | DR-4157 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2007-09-25 | DR-1729 | 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 |
| 1985-03-29 | DR-735 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1979-01-16 | EM-3068 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1974-06-10 | DR-438 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-09-04 | DR-351 | 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 Grundy County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 43 flood or flash flood records for Grundy County from 1996 to 2026, on 37 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Grundy County ranks 694th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.4 million on 333 claims filed in Grundy County; the most in one year was 61 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 7 · 1982: 34 · 1983: 2 · 1984: 9 · 1985: 41 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 10 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 3 · 1995: 1 · 1996: 7 · 1997: 6 · 1998: 9 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 2 · 2004: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2007: 8 · 2008: 44 · 2009: 4 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 61 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 16 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 10 · 2019: 11 · 2020: 27 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 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 Grundy County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grundy County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $50.1 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 High | $20M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.7M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 6 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $22M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $592K | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $101K | 2.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $47K | 14 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $755K | once in about 660 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Grundy 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 Grundy CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Grundy County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis