Saline County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17165 · population 23,693 · 380 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,044 records for Saline County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 729 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (169 records). 722 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 February 29, 2012 tornado: 8 deaths, 95 injuries and $2.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 9 declarations naming the county since 1996, 7 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
- 1,044on 729 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10120 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $85Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 18strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 9latest 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 Saline County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 169 since 1996. 65% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 169 | 123 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 5 | $16M | 12 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 160 | 126 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 102 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 144 | 124 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 1 | $11M | 18 of 102 |
| Heat | 117 | 85 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 5 | – | 11 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 111 | 79 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 9 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 91 | 71 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.7M | 11 of 102 |
| Floods | 83 | 72 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $31M | 15 of 102 |
| Hail | 79 | 62 | 1984-2026 | 0 | 0 | $231K | 31 of 102 |
| Drought | 55 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | 12 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 15 | 1957-2025 | 8 | 104 | $14M | 70 of 102 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 15 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 102 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2009-2012 | 0 | 5 | $6K | 2 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 Saline County had?
NOAA records 18 tornadoes in Saline County from 1957 to 2025, the strongest rated EF4, with 8 deaths and 104 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 Saline County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 18: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 8 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-02-29 04:51, as SPC files it | Harrisburg | EF4 | 26.09 mi | 8 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Saline County (18)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | Eagle, Saline County | EF1 0.33 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-16 | Mitchellsville, Saline County | EF1 6.75 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2024-05-08 | Ledford, Saline County | EF1 7.74 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2024-04-02 | Stonefort, Saline County | EF1 1.36 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2024-04-02 | Grayson, Saline County | EF2 1.14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $212K |
| 2018-04-03 | Banlick, Saline County | EF2 10.8 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $588K |
| 2013-10-31 | Stonefort, Saline County | EF1 3.47 mi x 175 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 2013-01-29 | Galatia, Saline County | EF2 0.97 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 2 | $253K |
| 2012-02-29 | Carriers Mills, Saline County | EF4 15.93 mi x 325 yd | 8 | 95 | $2.6M |
| 2005-11-15 | Harco, Saline County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-28 | Galatia, Saline County | F2 7.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $5.7M |
| 1990-10-03 | Saline County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-05-29 | Saline County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-05-29 | Saline County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1975-01-10 | Saline County | F2 2 mi x 587 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-03-09 | Saline County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1961-03-06 | Saline County | F2 4.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1957-12-19 | Saline County | F2 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Saline County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 21, 2026 winter weather ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | HailEldorado, Saline County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Dense FogSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-11-24 | Dense FogSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-22 | Dense FogSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-21 | Dense FogSaline County · forecast zone Saline | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-14 | Thunderstorm WindPankeyville, Saline County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $80K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-02-29 | TornadoCarriers Mills, Saline County The tornado touched down about a mile north of Carrier Mills, then moved east-northeast through Harrisburg. The violent tornado produced a swath of devastation in south and southeast parts of Harrisburg. In Harrisburg, over 200 homes and about 25 businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. The damage was in ... | EF4 15.93 mi x 325 yd | 8 | 95 | $2.6M |
| 2025-01-05 | Ice StormSaline County · forecast zone Saline A major to locally historic winter storm impacted southern Illinois on the 5th with a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Heavy snow with rates around 1 inch per hour impacted locations along and north of Interstate 64 beginning in the morning hours before eventually ending as sleet and freezing rain later that ... | 1 | 0 | $205K | |
| 2017-05-01 | FloodPankeyville, Saline County The middle fork of the Saline River remained flooded for much of the month. An elderly man drowned after driving around barricades to a bridge over the river. The man's truck was washed off the road in the area of the bridge. The incident occurred on a county road southeast of Harrisburg. | 1 | 0 | $36K | |
| 2012-06-29 | WildfireSaline County · forecast zone Saline The prolonged drought and hot, dry weather contributed to a large wildfire in Saline County. About 100 acres was involved in the fire that occurred in thick brush near Carrier Mills. The fire occurred in hilly terrain on mine property. Several fire departments were called to the scene, including some from Williamson ... | 0 | 5 | $6K | |
| 2010-08-09 | Excessive HeatSaline County · forecast zone Saline A strong and very persistent high in the upper levels of the atmosphere was responsible for seven consecutive days of heat indices at or above 105 degrees. The high was centered over the Lower Ohio Valley for the first few days of the heat wave, then it shifted slightly southward and weakened. The summer as a whole ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2010-01-07 | Winter WeatherSaline County · forecast zone Saline A low pressure center moved eastward across central Illinois and Indiana, bringing two inches of snow south of the Marion/Carbondale area and east of the Interstate 57 corridor. Isolated locations received three inches. Most schools were cancelled. A number of accidents occurred, mostly vehicles sliding off roads. ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoGalatia, Saline County The tornado struck Galatia directly, damaging about 55 structures and destroying several. Peak winds were estimated between 120 and 130 MPH. The roof of a car wash was blown off, and then the walls collapsed on a police cruiser that was sheltered there. A coal mine sustained a quarter million dollars in damage. Two ... | F2 7.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $5.7M |
| 2024-04-02 | TornadoGrayson, Saline County An EF-2 tornado occurred approximately two miles southeast of Eldorado during the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 2nd. The tornado began near the intersection of Highway 142 and Ridgway Road. Here, the tornado destroyed an outbuilding, uprooted several large trees, and removed portions of the roofs of two homes. ... | EF2 1.14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $212K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-03-18 | FloodGalatia, Saline County | 0 | 0 | $23M | |
| 2009-01-26 | Winter StormPope County and Saline County · forecast zone Pope | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindPope County and Saline County · forecast zone Pope | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.9M |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindNewhope, Saline County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $6.2M |
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoGalatia, Saline County | F2 7.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 3 | $5.7M |
| 1996-04-28 | Flash FloodHarrisburg, Saline County | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | |
| 1996-05-10 | Flash FloodHarrisburg, Saline County | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2012-02-29 | TornadoCarriers Mills, Saline County | EF4 15.93 mi x 325 yd | 8 | 95 | $2.6M |
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: March 6, 1961 (tornado, Saline County); January 10, 1975 (tornado, Saline County); October 3, 1990 (tornado, Saline 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 Saline 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 23 | 58 | 67 | 21 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 11 | 38 | 79 | 32 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 27 | 44 | 42 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 12 | 24 | 57 | 24 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 6 | 51 | 31 | 23 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 31 | 35 | 19 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
65% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 127 · Feb 104 · Mar 78 · Apr 112 · May 99 · Jun 76 · Jul 109 · Aug 76 · Sep 39 · Oct 53 · Nov 58 · Dec 113 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Saline County
FEMA's register lists 9 declarations that include Saline County: 6 major disasters, 3 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (4) and biological (2).
| 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 |
| 2009-07-02 | DR-1850 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-03-02 | DR-1826 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-07 | EM-3230 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-01 | EM-3199 | Snowstorm | Record/Near Record Snow |
| 2002-05-21 | DR-1416 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1996-05-06 | DR-1112 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 Saline County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 83 flood or flash flood records for Saline County from 1996 to 2025, on 72 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Saline County ranks 1944th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $487,000 on 28 claims filed in Saline County; the most in one year was 9 in 2014. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 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 Saline County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Saline County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $20.4 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 | $1.3M | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $7.9M | once in about 120 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $130K | 7.7 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $169K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.7M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $307K | 3 modeled event-days a year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $992K | 9.7 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Saline 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
- Winter storms in IllinoisThe state's winter storm records, 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 Saline CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Saline County's FEMA declarations (CSV)9 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis