NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Fairfield, 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 Fairfield, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 87
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Fairfield
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Fairfield; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Fairfield begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 11 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Fairfield 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 87 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 15 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 28, 2017, killed 1 person. Of the 87, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Fairfield. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1955, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Fairfield.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Fairfield
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 72 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 Fairfield: 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 Fairfield
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s25(1 EF3+)
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s11(3 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s7
- 1960s6
- 1950s7(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 7 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 23 mi | 16.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 15 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF3 | 21 mi | 44.13 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 21, 2002 | F3 | 2 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 42 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 8 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 12 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 22 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 16 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 23, 2012 | EF2 | 24 mi | 2.58 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 25 mi | 10.28 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 12 mi | 4.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Fairfield
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Fairfield since 1955, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 3, 1989. The most recent report is from April 2, 2024. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Fairfield
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fairfield Radio Wfiw, IL, 2 miles east of Fairfield at 430 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 45.9 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 99 nights a year. That 45.9 inches is more than at 128 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (88%). Albion, 15 miles east, has its own station (Grayville, IL): 50.1 inches a year, 4.2 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Mar | 57 | 36 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 5.0 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 29 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Year | 68 | 47 | 45.9 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fairfield Radio Wfiw, IL (430 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 Fairfield
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 72 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Fairfield: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 11 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 23, 2014. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 14. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 221 have had fewer than Fairfield.
April 2, 2006: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Fairfield — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Wind damage was widespread in and around Fairfield. The most severe damage was in the Fairfield Municipal Airport area, where a crop-dusting company's hangar collapsed onto three airplanes.”
March 18, 2008: flood 10 miles from the centre of Fairfield — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Many rural and county roads were flooded. S.”
August 15, 2007: thunderstorm wind in Fairfield — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Roofs were damaged, and numerous trees were blown down by very strong thunderstorm winds. The wind damage was primarily from the east side of Fairfield eastward along Route 15.”
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 Fairfield's ZIP code 62837 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1992, and were paid $68,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 9% 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, 6 have fewer than Fairfield.
Wayne County, which includes Fairfield, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.4 million a year, the 63rd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 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 Fairfield
- Wayne City, IL13 mi
- Albion, IL15 mi
- Flora, IL21 mi
- Mc Leansboro, IL22 mi
- Carmi, IL23 mi
- Norris City, IL28 mi
- Olney, IL28 mi
- New Harmony, IN30 mi
- Mount Carmel, IL30 mi
- Mount Vernon, IL30 mi
- Louisville, IL31 mi
- Poseyville, IN34 mi
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