Stark County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17175 · population 5,400 · 288 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 286 records for Stark County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 233 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (86 records). The deadliest single record is the February 14, 2014 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Stark, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1999, 6 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
- 286on 233 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $58Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 16strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 8latest 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 Stark County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 86 since 1969. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1969 fell in May and June. 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 | 86 | 66 | 1969-2026 | 0 | 1 | $941K | 57 of 102 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 67 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $537K | 26 of 102 |
| Hail | 44 | 35 | 1955-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 102 |
| Floods | 23 | 20 | 2002-2022 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 63 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 13 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 0 | $18M | 52 of 102 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 2012-2026 | 0 | 0 | $20M | 23 of 102 |
| Heat | 14 | 14 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 9 | 1996-2019 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 45 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 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 Stark County had?
NOAA records 16 tornadoes in Stark County from 1959 to 2026, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 15 tornadoes whose track touched Stark County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 16: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Stark County (16)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-10 | Toulon, Stark County | EF0 6.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | West Jersey, Stark County | EF1 4.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-13 | Toulon, Stark County | EF0 0.87 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-08-15 | West Jersey, Stark County | EF1 3.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-02-28 | Castleton, Stark County | EF1 5.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2016-06-14 | Bradford, Stark County | EF0 0.07 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-09-01 | Modena, Stark County | EF0 0.94 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-09-01 | Castleton, Stark County | EF0 1.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-09-01 | Wyoming, Stark County | EF0 1.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-04-20 | Wyoming, Stark County | F1 1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-08-03 | La Fayette, Stark County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-04-30 | Duncan, Stark County | F0 8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-07-23 | Stark County | F0 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1972-07-17 | Stark County | F1 29.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1967-07-23 | Stark County | F2 9.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1959-09-26 | Stark County | F2 1.9 mi x 40 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 Stark County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 28, 2017 tornado ($120,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A tornado touched down 0.8 miles southwest of Castleton at 4:12 PM CST. The tornado then tracked northeastward...damaging trees, an outbuilding, and a few homes before crossing into extreme southwestern Bureau County in the National Weather Service Davenport County Warning Area (CWA) at 4:19 PM CST.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 678119)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 | Thunderstorm WindSpeer, Stark County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindToulon, Stark County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | BlizzardStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-10 | TornadoToulon, Stark County | EF0 6.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-10 | TornadoWest Jersey, Stark County | EF1 4.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-05 | DroughtStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-13 | Winter WeatherStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | DroughtStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Heavy SnowStark County · forecast zone Stark | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-02-14 | Winter WeatherStark County · forecast zone Stark A snowplow driver was killed when he got out of his vehicle to assist a stranded motorist. A vehicle traveling down Route 17 about 3 miles from Toulon lost control on the slippery, snow-covered road and hit the snowplow driver. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1998-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Stark County A large bow echo system developed over eastern Iowa and moved rapidly to the southeast into Illinois. It moved into Central Illinois's County Warning Area (CWA) around 4 pm in Knox County and exited the CWA (Lawrence County) around 830 pm. Damage was reported in all 35 counties with this system. The overall general ... | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-01 | DroughtStark County · forecast zone Stark | 0 | 0 | $20M | |
| 2013-06-24 | Flash FloodLa Fayette, Stark County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 2013-04-17 | Flash FloodWest Jersey, Stark County | 0 | 0 | $6.3M | |
| 2014-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindBradford, Stark County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2017-02-28 | TornadoCastleton, Stark County | EF1 5.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
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: July 17, 1972 (tornado, Stark 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 Stark 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 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 24 | 18 | 19 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 16 | 22 | 15 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 8 | 1 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 13 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1969 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 34 · Feb 21 · Mar 20 · Apr 23 · May 34 · Jun 51 · Jul 27 · Aug 32 · Sep 10 · Oct 7 · Nov 11 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Stark County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Stark County: 3 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for snowstorm (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 |
| 2013-05-10 | DR-4116 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-03-17 | DR-1960 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2006-12-29 | EM-3269 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 |
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 Stark County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Stark County from 2002 to 2022, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Stark County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $0 on 1 claim filed in Stark County; the most in one year was 1 in 2007. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2007: 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 Stark County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Stark County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $4.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 9.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $596K | 5.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $41K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $377K | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $93K | once in about 726 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $136K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $315 | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $451K | 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 Stark 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 Stark CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Stark County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis