Jersey County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17083 · population 21,501 · 370 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 388 records for Jersey County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 301 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (115 records). The deadliest single record is the December 26, 2015 flash flood: 1 death. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1969, 18 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
- 388on 301 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 32 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $17Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 22strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Jersey County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 115 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 | 115 | 94 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 0 | $23K | 42 of 102 |
| Hail | 85 | 56 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 55 | 55 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 102 |
| Heat | 48 | 48 | 1999-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 22 of 102 |
| Floods | 37 | 32 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $234K | 43 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 18 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 2 | $17M | 43 of 102 |
| Drought | 10 | 10 | 2005-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 64 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 79 of 102 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2003-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 of 102 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | $197K | 63 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 Jersey County had?
NOAA records 22 tornadoes in Jersey County from 1961 to 2026, the strongest rated EF2, with 1 death and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 43rd 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 21 tornadoes whose track touched Jersey 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 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-09-24 17:00, as SPC files it | Brussels | F1 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Jersey County (22)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-11 | Grafton, Jersey County | EF1 0.13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-18 | Kemper, Jersey County | EFU 0.02 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-03-14 | Delhi, Jersey County | EF0 0.39 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-03-14 | Fidelity, Jersey County | EF0 2.28 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-03-14 | Fieldon, Jersey County | EF0 8.65 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-06-28 | Chautauqua, Jersey County | EF0 1.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-04-29 | Delhi, Jersey County | EF1 1.68 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-04 | Jerseyville, Jersey County | EF0 1.44 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-08-31 | Fieldon, Jersey County | EF0 0.18 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-03-08 | Rosedale, Jersey County | EF0 3.67 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-03-08 | Rosedale, Jersey County | EF2 0.98 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-09-06 | Jerseyville, Jersey County | EF0 0.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-06-13 | New Delhi, Jersey County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-07-18 | Elsah, Jersey County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-11-27 | Jersey County | F1 0.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-11-15 | Jersey County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-05-01 | Jersey County | F2 0.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1983-05-01 | Jersey County | F2 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1970-06-01 | Jersey County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-12-21 | Jersey County | F1 1.5 mi x 127 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-09-24 | Jersey County | F1 | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-03-06 | Jersey County | F1 33.4 mi x 77 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 Jersey County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 27, 2026 flash flood ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | HailJerseyville, Jersey County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailJerseyville, Jersey County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailJerseyville, Jersey County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Flash FloodNewbern, Jersey County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2026-04-27 | Flash FloodJerseyville, Jersey County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2026-03-11 | TornadoGrafton, Jersey County | EF1 0.13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormJersey County · forecast zone Jersey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-15 | Excessive HeatJersey County · forecast zone Jersey | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-16 | Thunderstorm WindJerseyville, Jersey County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-20 | Thunderstorm WindGrafton, Jersey County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | Thunderstorm WindDelhi, Jersey County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindJersey County · forecast zone Jersey | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-12-26 | Flash FloodGrafton, Jersey County Up to four inches of rain fell causing flash flooding. Numerous roads were flooded. In Grafton, a 42 year old woman was walking home, possibly intoxicated. She was last seen on North Cedar Street at about 11 pm on December 26th, 2015. Authorities suspected she tried to cross a flooded roadway near a creek and was ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2003-05-08 | Flash FloodFieldon, Jersey County Heavy rain caused flash flooding in parts of north Jersey County. A 79 year old man was swept off a bridge and killed in his truck when he tried to cross a flooded Sugar Creek. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1961-09-24 | TornadoJersey County | F1 | 1 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1983-05-01 | TornadoJersey County | F2 0.2 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1983-05-01 | TornadoJersey County | F2 0.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 1 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | Flash FloodJerseyville, Jersey County | 0 | 0 | $50K | |
| 2025-03-14 | High WindJersey County · forecast zone Jersey | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
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: May 1, 1983 (tornado, Jersey County); May 1, 1983 (tornado, Jersey 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 Jersey 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 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 22 | 42 | 15 | 11 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 37 | 22 | 5 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 24 | 15 | 6 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 1 | 19 | 25 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 23 | 11 | 2 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
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 Jersey County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 26 · Mar 27 · Apr 44 · May 68 · Jun 56 · Jul 51 · Aug 34 · Sep 11 · Oct 10 · Nov 17 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Jersey County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Jersey County: 17 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (9) and severe storm (5).
| 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 |
| 2008-06-24 | DR-1771 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-02-09 | DR-1681 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3230 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002-05-21 | DR-1416 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes 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 |
| 1986-10-07 | DR-776 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 |
| 1969-08-30 | DR-276 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1969-06-06 | DR-262 | Flood | 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 Jersey County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Jersey County from 1996 to 2026, on 32 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Jersey County ranks 202nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $24.4 million on 1,869 claims filed in Jersey County; the most in one year was 417 in 1993. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1979: 206 · 1981: 20 · 1982: 165 · 1983: 184 · 1984: 6 · 1985: 52 · 1986: 154 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 19 · 1991: 4 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 417 · 1994: 7 · 1995: 105 · 1996: 38 · 1997: 11 · 1998: 24 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 3 · 2001: 15 · 2002: 67 · 2004: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 127 · 2009: 4 · 2010: 7 · 2011: 7 · 2013: 51 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 41 · 2016: 5 · 2017: 18 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 92 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 3; 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 Jersey County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jersey County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $32K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $909K | once in about 242 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.7M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $160K | 1.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $257K | 49 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $650K | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 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 Jersey 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 Jersey CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Jersey County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis