NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chester, 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 Chester, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 103 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 103
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Chester
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Chester; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 48 mph winds when its centre passed 26 miles away. The record near Chester begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 58 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Chester 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 103 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on February 28, 2017, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on December 18, 1957, killed 11 people. Of the 103, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on May 19, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Chester. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1957, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Chester.
Compare Chester's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chester
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 55 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 Chester: 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 Chester
By decade
- 2020s12(2 EF3+)
- 2010s7(1 EF3+)
- 2000s24(2 EF3+)
- 1990s19(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10(2 EF3+)
- 1950s18(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 24 mi | 28.3 mi | 11 / 200 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF4 | 10 mi | 53.47 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F4 | 16 mi | 27.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 11, 2006 | F3 | 1 mi | 53.5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 2 mi | 4.5 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Oct 24, 2021 | EF3 | 23 mi | 18.84 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 24, 2021 | EF3 | 18 mi | 16.74 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 12 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1982 | F3 | 11 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 18, 1975 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 1969 | F3 | 17 mi | 18.1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Dec 21, 1967 | F3 | 3 mi | 29.8 mi | 0 / 15 |
The strongest 12 of 103, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chester
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Chester since 1957, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on March 20, 1976. The most recent report is from April 2, 2024. April has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chester
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kaskaskia Rvr Navigation Lock, IL, 8 miles northwest of Chester at 380 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 24°F. May is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 42.8 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 58 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 99 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 42.8 inches is more than at 114 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (78%). Steeleville, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Sparta 1 W, IL): 45.7 inches a year, 2.9 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 24 | 2.7 | 4 | 1.4 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 2.4 | 5 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 56 | 35 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 37 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Year | 67 | 46 | 42.8 | 70 | 4.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kaskaskia Rvr Navigation Lock, IL (380 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 Chester
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 76 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chester: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 floods, 6 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $400,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 30, 2022. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 51 have had fewer than Chester.
May 19, 2022: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Chester — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread wind damage across Chester. Numerous trees, tree limbs, power poles and power lines were blown down around town.”
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
Randolph County, which includes Chester, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 6 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Randolph County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $35.4 million a year, the 26th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.5 million (21%), 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 Chester
- Steeleville, IL10 mi
- Saint Mary, MO10 mi
- Perryville, MO14 mi
- Sparta, IL15 mi
- Ste Genevieve, MO18 mi
- Red Bud, IL22 mi
- Coulterville, IL22 mi
- Bloomsdale, MO25 mi
- Pinckneyville, IL26 mi
- New Athens, IL28 mi
- Murphysboro, IL29 mi
- Du Quoin, IL32 mi
All Illinois cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Chester with another place →