NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bunker Hill, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bunker Hill, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 133 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 133
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
19 deaths in all
What the records show for Bunker Hill
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bunker Hill; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 35 miles away. The record near Bunker Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Bunker Hill has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 133 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 22, 2011, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on December 10, 2021, killed 6 people. Of the 133, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 74 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Bunker Hill has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 49% of the 548 Illinois cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 107 times since 1968, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Bunker Hill has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 548 Illinois cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bunker Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 13 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 Bunker Hill: 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 Bunker Hill
By decade
- 2020s20(1 EF3+)
- 2010s23(3 EF3+)
- 2000s31
- 1990s16(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9(5 EF3+)
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s12(2 EF3+)
- 1950s13(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 1967 | F4 | 18 mi | 25 mi | 3 / 216 |
| Apr 22, 2011 | EF4 | 23 mi | 21.3 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1981 | F4 | 15 mi | 11.9 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 18 mi | 4.22 mi | 6 / 1 |
| Dec 2, 1950 | F3 | 25 mi | 18 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F3 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 4 |
| May 31, 2013 | EF3 | 14 mi | 10.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2013 | EF3 | 22 mi | 31.71 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 15, 1988 | F3 | 24 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 1, 1983 | F3 | 15 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 1, 1983 | F3 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Apr 7, 1980 | F3 | 19 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 15 |
The strongest 12 of 133, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bunker Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 107 hail reports within 10 miles of Bunker Hill since 1968, made on 72 separate days. Of these, 61 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 5 days, most recently September 4, 2017. The most recent report is from April 18, 2024. May has the most reports, 38.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bunker Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Alton - Melvin Price L&D, IL, 16 miles southwest of Bunker Hill at 405 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 22°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 41.9 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 29 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. That 41.9 inches is more than at 105 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (72%). Staunton, 9 miles east, has its own station (Hillsboro, IL): 42.0 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 54 | 35 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 66 | 45 | 4.9 | 8 |
| May | 75 | 56 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Jun | 84 | 66 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 86 | 67 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Sep | 80 | 60 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 68 | 48 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 54 | 37 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Year | 65 | 46 | 41.9 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Alton - Melvin Price L&D, IL (405 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 Bunker Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 99 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bunker Hill: 95 thunderstorm wind reports and 4 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $162,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 15, 2026.
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
Macoupin County, which includes Bunker Hill, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1982, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Macoupin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $38.7 million a year, the 24th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.4 million (30%), 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 Bunker Hill
- Staunton, IL9 mi
- Gillespie, IL9 mi
- Worden, IL9 mi
- Bethalto, IL10 mi
- Brighton, IL10 mi
- Cottage Hills, IL12 mi
- Mount Olive, IL12 mi
- East Alton, IL14 mi
- Alton, IL15 mi
- Wood River, IL15 mi
- Edwardsville, IL15 mi
- South Roxana, IL16 mi
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