NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Centralia, 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 Centralia, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 106
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Centralia
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Centralia; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Centralia begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 31 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Centralia 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 106 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on November 17, 2013, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on February 24, 1956, killed 6 people. Of the 106, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on April 30, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 72% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Centralia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 58 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Centralia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Centralia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 41 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 Centralia: 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 Centralia
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s18(1 EF3+)
- 2000s32(2 EF3+)
- 1990s13
- 1980s1
- 1970s7
- 1960s6
- 1950s14(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 1956 | F4 | 22 mi | 77.6 mi | 6 / 36 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF4 | 8 mi | 10.59 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 17 mi | 16.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| Mar 11, 2006 | F3 | 25 mi | 53.5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Apr 21, 2002 | F3 | 25 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 42 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 20 mi | 60.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Mar 23, 2012 | EF2 | 23 mi | 2.58 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 30, 2025 | EF2 | 22 mi | 4.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | 23 mi | 8.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF2 | 10 mi | 13.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 22, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 18.19 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF2 | 15 mi | 2.34 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Centralia
The Storm Prediction Center has 58 hail reports within 10 miles of Centralia since 1957, made on 44 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 28, 2012. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Centralia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Iuka 12 SW, IL, 9 miles east of Centralia at 590 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 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 44.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 44.8 inches is more than at 124 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (85%). Sandoval, 6 miles north, has its own station (Salem, IL): 45.9 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and the same July average high, 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 2.9 | 5 | 3.4 |
| Feb | 44 | 24 | 2.6 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 54 | 33 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 66 | 44 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 54 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 3.0 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 44.8 | 76 | 12.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Iuka 12 SW, IL (590 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 Centralia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 131 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Centralia: 112 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 1 flood and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 77 mph, on April 19, 2011. June has had the most flash floods, 6 of 17. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 278 have had fewer than Centralia.
July 29, 2023: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Centralia — 3 injured.
May 25, 1996: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Centralia — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
June 10, 2003: thunderstorm wind in Centralia — 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
Marion County, which includes Centralia, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane, 1 snowstorm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marion County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $30.9 million a year, the 32nd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.1 million (33%), 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 Centralia
- Sandoval, IL6 mi
- Odin, IL8 mi
- Salem, IL12 mi
- Woodlawn, IL14 mi
- Carlyle, IL15 mi
- Mount Vernon, IL18 mi
- Nashville, IL19 mi
- Breese, IL23 mi
- Albers, IL26 mi
- Aviston, IL27 mi
- Greenville, IL30 mi
- New Baden, IL30 mi
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