Jefferson County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17081 · population 37,082 · 571 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 827 records for Jefferson County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 695 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (139 records). 488 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the March 18, 2008 flood: 2 deaths and $80,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 5 declarations naming the county since 2002, 3 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms and Flooding” on June 7, 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
- 827on 695 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 1179 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $85Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest 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 Jefferson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 139 since 1960. 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 | 139 | 121 | 1960-2024 | 1 | 6 | $21M | 66 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 129 | 128 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 2 | $351K | 28 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 107 | 102 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 of 102 |
| Hail | 92 | 76 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $121K | 48 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 82 | 82 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $4.3M | 18 of 102 |
| Heat | 82 | 82 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 12 | – | 20 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 65 | 65 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $138K | 19 of 102 |
| Floods | 49 | 45 | 1996-2024 | 3 | 1 | $786K | 49 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 26 | 1957-2024 | 3 | 57 | $53M | 50 of 102 |
| Drought | 27 | 27 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | 24 of 102 |
| Heavy rain | 21 | 21 | 2004-2015 | 0 | 0 | $69K | 9 of 102 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 1996-2011 | 0 | 0 | $43K | 43 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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Jefferson County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 3 deaths and 57 injuries recorded in the county. That is 50th 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 33 tornadoes whose track touched Jefferson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: 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, 3 of them in Jefferson County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957-12-18 15:55, as SPC files it | Mount Vernon | F4 | 16.8 mi | 1 |
| 2002-04-21 14:49, as SPC files it | Wayne to Fairfield | F3 | 31.5 mi | 1 |
| 2012-03-23 12:26, as SPC files it | Belle Rive to Bluford | EF2 | 2.58 mi | 1 |
| 1982-03-30 20:30, as SPC files it | Ina | F2 | 0.8 mi | 1 |
| 1996-04-19 20:15, as SPC files it | Dahlgren to Belle Prairie | F3 | 17 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Jefferson County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-14 | Mt Vernon, Jefferson County | EF1 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $659K |
| 2020-03-19 | Belle Rive, Jefferson County | EF0 0.58 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2017-08-02 | Ina, Jefferson County | EF0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-10-13 | Bluford, Jefferson County | EF1 0.66 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $62K |
| 2014-10-13 | Dix, Jefferson County | EF1 2.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2013-11-17 | Opdyke, Jefferson County | EF1 0.15 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2012-03-23 | Shirley, Jefferson County | EF2 2.58 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 2 | $193K |
| 2011-05-25 | Woodlawn, Jefferson County | EF2 13.48 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.2M |
| 2011-04-19 | Bluford, Jefferson County | EF1 1.43 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2011-04-19 | Mt Vernon, Jefferson County | EF1 4.27 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 2010-06-27 | Shirley, Jefferson County | EF0 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2009-03-08 | Stratton, Jefferson County | EF0 3.61 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2009-03-08 | Texico, Jefferson County | EF1 2.27 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2008-06-27 | Mt Vernon, Jefferson County | EF0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2005-04-12 | Nason, Jefferson County | F0 4.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-30 | Woodlawn, Jefferson County | F1 18 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2002-04-21 | Bluford, Jefferson County | F1 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2001-08-18 | Waltonville, Jefferson County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-15 | Cravat, Jefferson County | F2 5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $724K |
| 1996-04-19 | Ina, Jefferson County | F3 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 1995-05-18 | Waltonville, Jefferson County | F0 0.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-05-01 | Jefferson County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-03-30 | Jefferson County | F2 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-05-07 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 3 | – |
| 1966-04-20 | Jefferson County | F0 4.3 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1960-02-09 | Jefferson County | F2 1.9 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1959-05-09 | Jefferson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-12-19 | Jefferson County | F2 1 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-12-18 | Jefferson County | F2 11.6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-12-18 | Jefferson County | F4 16.8 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 45 | $2.5M step |
| 1957-12-18 | Jefferson County | F2 4.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K 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 Jefferson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 2, 2026 strong wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | HailMt Vernon Airport, Jefferson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-10 | Dense FogJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | DroughtJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Cold/Wind ChillJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | $150K | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-24 | Dense FogJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Frost/FreezeJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-01 | DroughtJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-03-18 | FloodDix, Jefferson County Two persons died after their truck stalled in floodwater on a secondary road near Waltonville. The three occupants of the truck climbed on top of it. One of the victims dropped her purse in the water and dove after it. Two other occupants of the truck dove in to rescue her. One of the rescuers swam to safety, but the ... | 2 | 0 | $80K | |
| 1957-12-18 | TornadoJefferson County | F4 16.8 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 45 | $2.5M step |
| 1982-03-30 | TornadoJefferson County | F2 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 2012-03-23 | TornadoShirley, Jefferson County A tied down double wide mobile home was destroyed. A elderly lady was killed and a teenage boy was injured when the mobile home was lofted by the tornado and carried approximately 100 yards to the northeast, with the mobile home undercarriage carried approximately 200 yards. One home had windows blown out on the ... | EF2 2.58 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 2 | $193K |
| 2016-01-19 | Winter WeatherJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson From one to three inches of snow fell across southern Illinois. The one-inch amounts were confined mainly along the Mississippi River. Amounts increased toward the northeast. Snowfall amounts averaged about two inches in the Mount Vernon and Marion-Carbondale areas, and they averaged near three inches from Harrisburg ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2021-07-16 | FloodMt Vernon, Jefferson County Several streets on the south side of Mt. Vernon had standing water over them. Record flooding occurred on Rayse Creek in southwest Jefferson County. A motorist drowned after driving into the creek flooding on a county road south of Woodlawn. The incident occurred during the early morning hours of the 17th following ... | 1 | 0 | $33K | |
| 2015-05-10 | Thunderstorm WindMt Vernon, Jefferson County Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down, along with a couple of large trees. A large tree limb blew across two mobile homes, killing a 72-year-old man who was in the mobile home closest to the tree. The man died from blunt-force trauma caused by the tree limb, which was about 20 inches in diameter. His ... | 52 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $56K |
| 2012-01-12 | Winter WeatherJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson A strong upper-level low brought about an inch of snow to parts of southern Illinois. The 500 mb low moved southeast from the central Plains across the Lower Ohio Valley. A surface low pressure system over the Great Lakes region produced a strong northwest wind across the Lower Ohio Valley. About an inch of snow fell ... | 1 | 0 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Jefferson County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 5 | $19M |
| 2011-05-25 | TornadoWoodlawn, Jefferson County | EF2 13.48 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $5.2M |
| 2007-09-01 | DroughtJefferson County · forecast zone Jefferson | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | |
| 1998-04-15 | TornadoCravat, Jefferson County | F2 5 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $724K |
| 2024-03-14 | TornadoMt Vernon, Jefferson County | EF1 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $659K |
| 2018-09-08 | Flash FloodDix, Jefferson County | 0 | 1 | $470K | |
| 1996-04-19 | TornadoIna, Jefferson County | F3 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 2008-02-05 | Thunderstorm WindBelle Rive, Jefferson County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $247K |
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: December 18, 1957 (tornado, Jefferson County, 1 killed); March 30, 1982 (tornado, Jefferson County, 1 killed); May 1, 1983 (tornado, Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 37 | 43 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 16 | 39 | 53 | 21 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 5 | 20 | 55 | 27 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 43 | 27 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 36 | 27 |
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 Jefferson County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 85 · Feb 81 · Mar 67 · Apr 119 · May 67 · Jun 69 · Jul 94 · Aug 65 · Sep 24 · Oct 41 · Nov 45 · Dec 70 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jefferson County
FEMA's register lists 5 declarations that include Jefferson County: 3 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for biological (2) and severe storm (1).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4489 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3435 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2011-06-07 | DR-1991 | 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 |
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 Jefferson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 49 flood or flash flood records for Jefferson County from 1996 to 2024, on 45 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Jefferson County ranks 2262nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $262,000 on 13 claims filed in Jefferson County; the most in one year was 5 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1999: 1 · 2006: 3 · 2011: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2021: 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 Jefferson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $34.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.2M | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $284K | 8.3 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $16M | once in about 140 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 9.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.4M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $648K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $6K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.5M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Jefferson 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 Jefferson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jefferson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)5 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis