NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Dekalb, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Dekalb, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1900. Since 1950, 123 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 123
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
27 deaths in all
What the records show for Dekalb
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Dekalb; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. Of the 548 Illinois cities on this site, 57% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Dekalb. The highest rating among the 123 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 9, 2015, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 21, 1967, killed 24 people. Of the 123, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 81 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on July 15, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Dekalb. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 73% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Dekalb.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Dekalb
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Dekalb: 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 Dekalb
By decade
- 2020s45
- 2010s20(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s9
- 1980s4
- 1970s11
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 1967 | F4 | 22 mi | 25.5 mi | 24 / 450 |
| Apr 9, 2015 | EF4 | 16 mi | 30.14 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Jul 8, 1993 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 16, 1980 | F2 | 18 mi | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1975 | F2 | 7 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F2 | 22 mi | 2.68 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Aug 15, 1958 | F2 | 20 mi | 74.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 1958 | F2 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1954 | F2 | 24 mi | 7.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF1 | 21 mi | 27.51 mi | 1 / 40 |
| Jul 15, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 19.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 123, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Dekalb
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Dekalb since 1970, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 12, 1998. The most recent report is from July 28, 2023. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Dekalb
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is De Kalb, IL, 2 miles northwest of Dekalb at 873 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 28°F and 13°F. May is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and January and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 37.3 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 141 nights a year. Snowfall averages 33.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 37.3 inches is more than at 20 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (14%). Waterman, 11 miles south, has its own station (Shabbona 5 NNE, IL): 37.5 inches a year, 0.2 more than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 13 | 1.7 | 4 | 10.2 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 1.7 | 4 | 8.7 |
| Mar | 45 | 27 | 2.2 | 5 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.3 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 53 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 41 | 3.0 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 2.3 | 5 | 1.8 |
| Dec | 34 | 19 | 2.0 | 5 | 6.6 |
| Year | 58 | 39 | 37.3 | 70 | 33.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at De Kalb, IL (873 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 Dekalb
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 187 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Dekalb: 165 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 7 floods and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 20, 2014. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 12. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 179 have had fewer than Dekalb.
April 5, 1997: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Dekalb — 1 injured.
August 23, 2007: flood in Dekalb — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “After flash flooding from heavy rainfall on the evening of August 23rd, significant flooding continued across parts of central DeKalb County as rivers and streams overflowed their banks and flood waters took days to subside. During the morning of August 24th, Route 30 and 1st Street were impassable.”
July 9, 2007: flash flood in Dekalb — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Torrential rainfall led to flash flooding in parts of DeKalb. Numerous roads were closed with four feet of standing water.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Dekalb's ZIP code 60115 have filed 196 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $2.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1996: 51 claims (26% of all) and $355,000. The year with the most claims was 2007, with 50. 29% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 320 Illinois cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 263 have fewer than Dekalb.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1996 | 51 | $355,000 |
DeKalb County, which includes Dekalb, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives DeKalb County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $47.4 million a year, the 21st highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.3 million (51%), 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 Dekalb
- Cortland, IL3 mi
- Sycamore, IL6 mi
- Malta, IL7 mi
- Maple Park, IL9 mi
- Waterman, IL11 mi
- Hinckley, IL11 mi
- Kingston, IL12 mi
- Genoa, IL13 mi
- Kirkland, IL14 mi
- Elburn, IL15 mi
- Rochelle, IL17 mi
- Hampshire, IL17 mi
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