Wayne County, Illinois
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 17191 · population 16,161 · 714 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 788 records for Wayne County, Illinois from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 689 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (123 records). 473 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 July 18, 1999 heat, filed for the forecast zone Wayne, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 8 declarations naming the county since 1989, 6 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
- 788on 689 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 473 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $43Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 29strongest F4
- 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 Wayne County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 123 since 1996. 63% 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 | 123 | 122 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 2 | $688K | 39 of 102 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 110 | 106 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 102 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 106 | 87 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 2 | $5.6M | 102 of 102 |
| Floods | 104 | 94 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $1.2M | 23 of 102 |
| Extreme cold | 74 | 74 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | 22 of 102 |
| Heat | 74 | 74 | 1997-2025 | 2 | 20 | – | 27 of 102 |
| Hail | 72 | 59 | 1955-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 90 of 102 |
| High wind and dust storms | 59 | 59 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $99K | 21 of 102 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 24 | 1957-2024 | 1 | 49 | $24M | 87 of 102 |
| Drought | 27 | 27 | 1998-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.9M | 33 of 102 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2004-2014 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 36 of 102 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1999-2000 | 0 | 0 | $87K | 60 of 102 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Wayne County from 1957 to 2024, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 49 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Wayne County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29: 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, 1 of them in Wayne County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-02 17:20, as SPC files it | ShoalsCrossed IL, IN | F4 | 106 mi | 1 |
| 2002-04-21 14:49, as SPC files it | Wayne to Fairfield | F3 | 31.5 mi | 1 |
| 1990-06-02 16:45, as SPC files it | Olney | F4 | 23 mi | 0 |
| 1996-04-19 20:15, as SPC files it | Dahlgren to Belle Prairie | F3 | 17 mi | 0 |
| 1957-12-18 17:00, as SPC files it | Clay | F3 | 19.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Illinois.
Every tornado record filed for Wayne County (29)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-14 | Merriam, Wayne County | EF1 2.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $113K |
| 2022-03-30 | Fairfield, Wayne County | EF0 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2021-05-06 | Rinard, Wayne County | EF0 0.52 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-12-23 | Golden Gate, Wayne County | EF1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2014-06-23 | Fairfield, Wayne County | EF0 1.8 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2014-06-23 | Fairfield, Wayne County | EF0 2.89 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2013-11-17 | Sims, Wayne County | EF2 9.48 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 2013-11-17 | Golden Gate, Wayne County | EF1 1.03 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2013-07-02 | Mt Erie, Wayne County | EF0 0.67 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-19 | Fairfield, Wayne County | EF2 10.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $525K |
| 2009-03-08 | Orchardville, Wayne County | EF0 0.63 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2009-03-08 | Enterprise, Wayne County | EF2 4.73 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $124K |
| 2009-03-08 | Wayne City, Wayne County | EF1 14.44 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $55K |
| 2006-03-11 | Keenes, Wayne County | F1 1 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $102K |
| 2002-04-21 | Wayne City, Wayne County | F3 30 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 42 | $6.6M |
| 1998-06-22 | Cisne, Wayne County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-19 | Barnhill, Wayne County | F3 2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 1990-06-02 | Wayne County | F4 15.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-06-02 | Wayne County | F4 5.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1989-10-16 | Wayne County | F2 2 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-07-24 | Wayne County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1989-04-03 | Wayne County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-01-07 | Wayne County | F2 10 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1985-09-09 | Wayne County | F0 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1983-05-01 | Wayne County | F1 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-05-07 | Wayne County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-04-13 | Wayne County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-07-11 | Wayne County | F2 15.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-12-18 | Wayne County | F3 11.9 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K 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 Wayne County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 14, 2026 strong wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-16 | Dense FogWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Cold/Wind ChillWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | Strong WindWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-23 | Dense FogWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-09-20 | Thunderstorm WindMt Erie, Wayne County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-09-14 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-18 | HeatWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Prolonged heat and humidity during the latter half of July took its toll on the unprepared. Four fatalities were blamed on the heat, including two in Wayne County. Near Fairfield, a 78-year-old man died after driving his riding lawn mower to a trucking firm to gather landscape rocks. The man was found near a pile of ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2002-04-21 | TornadoWayne City, Wayne County The tornado entered Wayne County about a half mile north of Illinois Route 15, then proceeded to move northeast to a point about 1.5 miles north of Wayne City. The tornado then paralleled Route 15 just north of Sims. The tornado continued moving east toward Fairfield, and passed through the southern part of Fairfield ... | F3 30 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 42 | $6.6M |
| 2013-12-24 | FloodMt Erie, Wayne County Flooding of the Little Wabash River affected low-lying fields and woodlands. A 42-year-old woman died after driving her car into the backwaters of the Little Wabash River northeast of Fairfield. Using an airplane, state police located her body beneath ice not far from the abandoned car. She was taken to a local ... | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2005-07-21 | HeatWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Several days of excessive heat and humidity caused a significant increase in heat-related illnesses. Hospitals reported that a majority of those treated were outdoor workers. The heat index peaked around 110 degrees each afternoon, and dropped to only around 80 degrees at night. True air temperatures reached the mid ... | 0 | 20 | – | |
| 2011-04-19 | TornadoFairfield, Wayne County One house was destroyed, with part of the roof removed and separation of some walls. A machine shed and several grain bins were destroyed. About a dozen power poles were snapped. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. A tank was blown about 150 yards. An outbuilding was blown across Route 15. The average path width ... | EF2 10.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $525K |
| 2008-02-01 | Winter WeatherWayne County · forecast zone Wayne A deepening surface low pressure system tracked northward from the Lower Mississippi Valley, passing across far western Kentucky. Cold air wrapped southward around the back side of the low, keeping precipitation frozen or freezing over parts of southern Illinois. Storm total precipitation ranged from 3 to 6 inches ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 1990-06-02 | TornadoWayne County | F4 5.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 2009-03-08 | TornadoWayne City, Wayne County Intermittent damage was observed along the path of this tornado, which contained peak winds near 100 mph. Most of the damage was tree damage. Some trees were snapped and uprooted. Two structures were damaged, including a mobile home that was not tied down. The mobile home was rolled while a man was inside. He suffered ... | EF1 14.44 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $55K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-21 | TornadoWayne City, Wayne County | F3 30 mi x 500 yd | 1 | 42 | $6.6M |
| 1996-05-03 | HailZenith, Wayne County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.3M |
| 1994-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindFairfield, Wayne County | 0 | 1 | $995K | |
| 1994-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindCisne, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2006-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindFairfield, Wayne County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $732K |
| 2011-04-19 | TornadoFairfield, Wayne County | EF2 10.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $525K |
| 2023-07-29 | Thunderstorm WindWayne City, Wayne County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $242K |
| 2007-08-15 | Thunderstorm WindFairfield, Wayne County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $213K |
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: June 2, 1990 (tornado, Wayne County); January 7, 1989 (tornado, Wayne 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 Wayne 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 | – | – | – | – | 11 | 38 | 52 | 22 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 5 | 20 | 57 | 28 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 19 | 24 | 41 | 20 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 3 | 25 | 27 | 19 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 6 | 11 | 35 z | 22 |
Heat in the 2010s: 35 records against 11 in the decade before, 35 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Wayne County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
63% 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 88 · Feb 80 · Mar 64 · Apr 94 · May 68 · Jun 79 · Jul 86 · Aug 61 · Sep 22 · Oct 35 · Nov 39 · Dec 72 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wayne County
FEMA's register lists 8 declarations that include Wayne County: 6 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for tornado (3) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-26 | DR-4489 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3435 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-11-26 | DR-4157 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1990-06-22 | DR-871 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1989-01-13 | DR-819 | Tornado | Severe Storms & Tornadoes |
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 Wayne County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 104 flood or flash flood records for Wayne County from 1996 to 2025, on 94 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wayne County ranks 2291st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $71,000 on 12 claims filed in Wayne County; the most in one year was 3 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1985: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 2006: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2019: 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 Wayne County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $13.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | 9.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $563K | 1.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $3.3M | once in about 142 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $870K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $48K | 7.9 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $394K | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | 3.2 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 Wayne 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 Wayne CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wayne County's FEMA declarations (CSV)8 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis