NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Altamont, IL
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Altamont, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Altamont
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Altamont; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Altamont begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Altamont has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on August 21, 1977, came within 25 miles. Of the 88, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on July 6, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Altamont. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 47 times since 1961, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Altamont.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Altamont
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Altamont: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Altamont
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s10
- 2000s22
- 1990s13
- 1980s8
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1977 | F3 | 25 mi | 26.9 mi | 6 / 56 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 22 mi | 60.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Aug 10, 1974 | F3 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1961 | F3 | 12 mi | 21.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 30, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 4.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 23 mi | 12.88 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | 25 mi | 8.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 41.54 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 3, 2018 | EF2 | 7 mi | 18.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 3 mi | 11.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF2 | 6 mi | 0.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Altamont
The Storm Prediction Center has 47 hail reports within 10 miles of Altamont since 1961, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on September 30, 1977. The most recent report is from October 18, 2025. April has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Altamont
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Effingham 3SW, IL, 7 miles northeast of Altamont at 625 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 20°F. May is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 44.0 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 114 nights a year. Snowfall averages 14.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.0 inches is more than at 122 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (84%). Saint Elmo, 7 miles west, has its own station (Brownstown 4 SW, IL): 41.2 inches a year, 2.8 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 20 | 2.9 | 5 | 5.3 |
| Feb | 43 | 23 | 2.4 | 5 | 4.6 |
| Mar | 54 | 32 | 3.3 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 66 | 42 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 42 | 25 | 2.8 | 6 | 2.4 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 44.0 | 76 | 14.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Effingham 3SW, IL (625 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Altamont
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 111 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Altamont: 81 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods and 5 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $976,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on February 5, 2008. June has had the most flash floods, 10 of 25. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 356 have had fewer than Altamont.
July 19, 2020: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Altamont — 1 injured, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees, tree branches, and power lines were blown down across Beecher City. One falling tree damaged a trailer.”
June 11, 2002: thunderstorm wind in Altamont — 1 injured.
NWS: “Numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down in Altamont, Effingham, and Teutopolis. Some homes in Effingham sustained siding damage and a small shed was destroyed by a fallen tree.”
February 19, 2026: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Altamont — 1 injured.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Effingham County, which includes Altamont, has been named in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1996, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane, 1 severe storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Effingham County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.4 million a year, the 49th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.4 million (36%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Altamont
- Saint Elmo, IL7 mi
- Effingham, IL10 mi
- Teutopolis, IL16 mi
- Dieterich, IL17 mi
- Ramsey, IL20 mi
- Vandalia, IL21 mi
- Louisville, IL23 mi
- Neoga, IL24 mi
- Shelbyville, IL24 mi
- Pana, IL29 mi
- Toledo, IL30 mi
- Flora, IL30 mi
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