NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Downs, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Downs, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 182 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 182
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Downs
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Downs; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Downs begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Downs has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The strongest of the 182 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 5, 1977; its path came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on May 15, 1968, killed 4 people. Of the 182, 12 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 69 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 57. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2025. Downs has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 85% of the 548 Illinois cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 79 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 60% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Downs.
Compare Downs's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Downs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 62 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 Downs: 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 Downs
By decade
- 2020s20
- 2010s10
- 2000s39(1 EF3+)
- 1990s37(2 EF3+)
- 1980s32
- 1970s27(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1977 | F4 | 15 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 27, 1951 | F3 | 17 mi | 18.2 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Aug 19, 2009 | EF3 | 24 mi | 24.27 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 17 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 1995 | F3 | 19 mi | 50 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 15 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 1, 2018 | EF2 | 7 mi | 2.44 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2004 | F2 | 22 mi | 13.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 2003 | F2 | 20 mi | 12.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 30, 2003 | F2 | 21 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2000 | F2 | 2 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Aug 24, 1982 | F2 | 9 mi | 23.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 182, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Downs
The Storm Prediction Center has 79 hail reports within 10 miles of Downs since 1974, made on 56 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 15, 2025. The most recent report is from May 15, 2025. June has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Downs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Normal 4NE, IL, 12 miles northwest of Downs at 790 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 16°F. May is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 39.3 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 133 nights a year. Snowfall averages 20.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 39.3 inches is more than at 63 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (43%). Heyworth, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Bloomington 5W, IL): 40.6 inches a year, 1.3 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 2.4 | 6 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 2.0 | 5 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 2.6 | 6 | 2.2 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.5 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 2.3 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Year | 62 | 40 | 39.3 | 76 | 20.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Normal 4NE, IL (790 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 Downs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 130 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Downs: 120 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 28, 1998. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 7. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 70 have had fewer than Downs.
June 29, 1998: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Downs — $1.1 million damage.
April 20, 2000: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Downs — $1.1 million damage.
July 11, 2020: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Downs — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and tree branches were blown down. Some of the falling trees damaged cars, houses, and power lines.”
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
McLean County, which includes Downs, has been named in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McLean County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $81.3 million a year, the 13th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $33.5 million (41%), 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 Downs
- Le Roy, IL6 mi
- Heyworth, IL8 mi
- Bloomington, IL8 mi
- Normal, IL11 mi
- Farmer City, IL14 mi
- Lexington, IL17 mi
- Hudson, IL17 mi
- Clinton, IL18 mi
- Danvers, IL20 mi
- Atlanta, IL23 mi
- Chenoa, IL25 mi
- El Paso, IL25 mi
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