NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Flora, 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 Flora, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Flora
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Flora; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The record near Flora begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm directly overhead. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Flora 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 91 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F0 on May 1, 1983, killed 2 people. Of the 91, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Flora. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 66 times since 1986, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Flora.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Flora
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | overhead | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 51 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 Flora: 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 Flora
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s19
- 2000s17(1 EF3+)
- 1990s16(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s8
- 1960s5
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 23 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 7 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 21, 2002 | F3 | 22 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 42 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 4 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | 8 mi | 8.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 2018 | EF2 | 24 mi | 18.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 20 mi | 9.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.57 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 8, 2009 | EF2 | 10 mi | 5.64 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2006 | F2 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1998 | F2 | 7 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Flora
The Storm Prediction Center has 66 hail reports within 10 miles of Flora since 1986, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on April 24, 2002. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Flora
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Flora, IL, in Flora at 481 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. June is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 48.0 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 45 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.6 inches a year, most of it in December. That 48.0 inches is more than at 137 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (94%). Louisville, 10 miles north, has its own station (Flora 5 NW, IL): 46.4 inches a year, 1.6 less 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 | 39 | 21 | 3.0 | 6 | 3.1 |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 2.5 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 67 | 44 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 63 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 55 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 3.3 | 7 | 4.5 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 48.0 | 78 | 11.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Flora, IL (481 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 Flora
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 186 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Flora: 154 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes, 3 floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 25, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 10 of 24. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 349 have had fewer than Flora.
June 13, 2011: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Flora — 3 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A large tree limb was blown down onto a car along Route 50 west of Flora. 3 people inside the car were injured.”
May 31, 2018: thunderstorm wind in Flora — $175,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down around Flora. Some large trees fell onto houses.”
July 13, 2016: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Flora — $110,000 damage.
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
Clay County, which includes Flora, has been named in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 2002, 3 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane, 1 snowstorm, 1 tornado). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Clay County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.9 million a year, the 70th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.3 million (36%), 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 Flora
- Louisville, IL10 mi
- Fairfield, IL21 mi
- Olney, IL22 mi
- Wayne City, IL23 mi
- Dieterich, IL24 mi
- Salem, IL25 mi
- Newton, IL27 mi
- Albion, IL30 mi
- Odin, IL30 mi
- Altamont, IL30 mi
- Teutopolis, IL32 mi
- Effingham, IL32 mi
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