NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Golconda, 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 Golconda, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 92 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 92
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
17 deaths in all
What the records show for Golconda
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Golconda; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Golconda begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 20 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Golconda has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 92 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on February 29, 2012, killed 8 people. Of the 92, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 63 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 24. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Golconda. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 30 times since 1958, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Golconda.
Compare Golconda's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Golconda
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Golconda: 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 Golconda
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s25(2 EF3+)
- 2000s22(4 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s4
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF4 | 23 mi | 26.09 mi | 8 / 108 |
| May 6, 2003 | F4 | in town | 33 mi | 2 / 33 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 25 mi | 16.28 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 18 mi | 42.5 mi | 3 / 34 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F3 | 12 mi | 0.3 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 25 mi | 19.3 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F3 | 18 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 2 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF2 | 20 mi | 9.93 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 16 mi | 11.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 18.18 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF2 | 16 mi | 15.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 92, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Golconda
The Storm Prediction Center has 30 hail reports within 10 miles of Golconda since 1958, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently September 22, 2006. The most recent report is from April 15, 2023. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Golconda
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL, 9 miles northwest of Golconda at 527 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 26°F. May is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 50.6 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 47 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. Snowfall averages 7.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 50.6 inches is more than at 144 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (99%). Smithland, KY, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Smithland L&D, IL): 49.5 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and the same July average high, 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.8 | 6 | 1.7 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 3.6 | 5 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 58 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 57 | 37 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 46 | 29 | 4.2 | 6 | 1.4 |
| Year | 68 | 46 | 50.6 | 73 | 7.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL (527 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 Golconda
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 85 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Golconda: 38 thunderstorm wind reports, 36 floods, 6 flash floods and 5 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 30, 2005. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 51 have had fewer than Golconda.
June 12, 2021: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Golconda — $515,000 damage.
NWS: “Wind damage was reported across southern and central Pope County, mainly from the Brownfield area to the Rosebud area. Some corn fields were blown down, and numerous tree limbs were down.”
May 1, 2011: flood 3 miles from the centre of Golconda — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Major flooding continued on the Ohio River from April. 89 feet on the afternoon of May 6 was about 3 feet higher than the 1997 flood.”
April 19, 2011: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Golconda — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Near the intersection of Highways 147 and 145, the roof of a house was heavily damaged. A large portion of the shingles were stripped off, and seven large trees were snapped off or uprooted.”
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
Pope County, which includes Golconda, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pope County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.4 million a year, the 94th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.9 million (35%), 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 Golconda
- Smithland, KY13 mi
- Brookport, IL16 mi
- Metropolis, IL17 mi
- Vienna, IL20 mi
- Ledbetter, KY22 mi
- Paducah, KY23 mi
- Carrier Mills, IL23 mi
- West Paducah, KY24 mi
- Creal Springs, IL24 mi
- Harrisburg, IL24 mi
- Marion, KY25 mi
- Kevil, KY26 mi
All Illinois cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Golconda with another place →