NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bridgeport, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bridgeport, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 86 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 86
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
13 deaths in all
What the records show for Bridgeport
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bridgeport; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Bridgeport begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 69 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Bridgeport is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 86 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 31, 2023, killed 6 people. Of the 86, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on July 9, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bridgeport. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1967, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 76% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bridgeport.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bridgeport
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 67 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 Bridgeport: 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 Bridgeport
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s18
- 2000s6
- 1990s20(3 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7
- 1950s10(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 23 mi | 13 mi | 6 / 60 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 20 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 17 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 7, 1989 | F4 | 15 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 55 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 17 mi | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 2 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 10, 1959 | F3 | 20 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 21 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | 19 mi | 12.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2022 | EF2 | 18 mi | 26.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 15 mi | 8.81 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 15 mi | 10.28 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 86, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bridgeport
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Bridgeport since 1967, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on January 17, 2012. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. May and June have the most reports, 11 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bridgeport
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lawrenceville 2WSW, IL, 3 miles east of Bridgeport at 451 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.8 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 98 nights a year. Snowfall averages 15.5 inches a year, most of it in December. That 46.8 inches is more than at 133 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (91%). Vincennes, IN, 14 miles east, has its own station (Vincennes 5 NE, IN): 46.8 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.3 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 2.7 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Apr | 67 | 43 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 63 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.4 | 6 | 5.2 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 46.8 | 73 | 15.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lawrenceville 2WSW, IL (451 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 Bridgeport
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 131 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bridgeport: 115 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 89 mph, on November 6, 2005. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 12. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 179 have had fewer than Bridgeport.
June 8, 2008: flood 8 miles from the centre of Bridgeport — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rainfall caused record flooding on the Embarras River at Lawrenceville. 3 feet at 2325 CST on 6/9.”
May 9, 2015: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Bridgeport — $125,000 damage.
April 28, 2017: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Bridgeport — $120,000 damage.
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
Lawrence County, which includes Bridgeport, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1996, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 flood, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lawrence County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.7 million a year, the 62nd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.4 million (54%), 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 Bridgeport
- Sumner, IL5 mi
- Lawrenceville, IL6 mi
- Vincennes, IN14 mi
- Olney, IL17 mi
- Robinson, IL20 mi
- Oblong, IL21 mi
- Mount Carmel, IL21 mi
- Bicknell, IN25 mi
- Carlisle, IN27 mi
- Princeton, IN28 mi
- Newton, IL28 mi
- Albion, IL29 mi
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