NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carlinville, 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 Carlinville, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 126 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 126
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Carlinville
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Carlinville; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Carlinville begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Carlinville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 126 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 19, 2011, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on April 28, 1956, killed 2 people. Of the 126, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 74 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 28 each. The most recent tornado was on April 18, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Carlinville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Carlinville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carlinville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 25 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 Carlinville: 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 Carlinville
By decade
- 2020s19
- 2010s21(1 EF3+)
- 2000s34
- 1990s17(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15(1 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 1999 | F3 | 11 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 19, 2011 | EF3 | 12 mi | 4.32 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 1, 1983 | F3 | 17 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 15 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | 15 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 24, 1961 | F3 | 20 mi | 64.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 2, 1950 | F2 | 17 mi | 18.8 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Oct 11, 2021 | EF2 | 23 mi | 5.83 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 1, 2018 | EF2 | 16 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2013 | EF2 | 10 mi | 1.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 2013 | EF2 | 16 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 19, 2011 | EF2 | 12 mi | 3.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2011 | EF2 | 17 mi | 3.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 126, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Carlinville
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Carlinville since 1963, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 25, 1989. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Carlinville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carlinville, IL, in Carlinville at 621 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 19°F. April is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 39.9 inches over 68 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. Snowfall averages 16.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.9 inches is more than at 75 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (51%). Girard, 11 miles north, has its own station (Virden, IL): 38.4 inches a year, 1.5 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 19 | 2.3 | 5 | 5.8 |
| Feb | 41 | 23 | 2.1 | 4 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 52 | 32 | 2.9 | 6 | 2.3 |
| Apr | 65 | 43 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 74 | 54 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 63 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 55 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 44 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.9 |
| Dec | 41 | 25 | 2.3 | 5 | 2.8 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 39.9 | 68 | 16.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carlinville, IL (621 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 Carlinville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 38 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Carlinville: 34 thunderstorm wind reports and 4 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $150,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 21, 2024.
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 Carlinville, 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 Carlinville
- Gillespie, IL11 mi
- Girard, IL11 mi
- Litchfield, IL14 mi
- Mount Olive, IL16 mi
- Virden, IL16 mi
- Bunker Hill, IL17 mi
- Staunton, IL19 mi
- Greenfield, IL19 mi
- Waverly, IL21 mi
- Brighton, IL22 mi
- Auburn, IL22 mi
- Hillsboro, IL23 mi
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