NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hillsboro, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hillsboro, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 115 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Hillsboro
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hillsboro; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 24 miles away. The record near Hillsboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Hillsboro has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on December 1, 2018, came within 19 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on April 28, 1956, killed 2 people. Of the 115, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 72 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on July 6, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hillsboro. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 76 times since 1976, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hillsboro.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hillsboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 6 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 Hillsboro: 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 Hillsboro
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s25(1 EF3+)
- 2000s32
- 1990s19(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s7(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s9(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2, 1950 | F3 | 18 mi | 18 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F3 | 16 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 4 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 22 mi | 60.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Dec 1, 2018 | EF3 | 19 mi | 12.49 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Jul 28, 1976 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F3 | 21 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jan 3, 1950 | F3 | 10 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 2, 1950 | F2 | 14 mi | 18.8 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 17 mi | 22.83 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF2 | 8 mi | 41.54 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 1, 2018 | EF2 | 7 mi | 6.79 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 20, 2014 | EF2 | 16 mi | 22.38 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hillsboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 76 hail reports within 10 miles of Hillsboro since 1976, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 43 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 28, 2011. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hillsboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hillsboro, IL, 1 mile north of Hillsboro at 630 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 42.0 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 100 nights a year. That 42.0 inches is more than at 106 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (73%). Nokomis, 15 miles northeast, has its own station (Pana, IL): 42.5 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 21 | 2.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 45 | 25 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Mar | 55 | 34 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 5.0 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 54 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Nov | 55 | 35 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Year | 66 | 45 | 42.0 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hillsboro, IL (630 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 Hillsboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 80 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hillsboro: 75 thunderstorm wind reports and 5 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $38,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 30, 2004. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Hillsboro.
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
Montgomery County, which includes Hillsboro, has been named in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 2002, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane, 1 ice storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Montgomery County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.2 million a year, the 43rd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.7 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 Hillsboro
- Litchfield, IL10 mi
- Mount Olive, IL14 mi
- Nokomis, IL15 mi
- Greenville, IL18 mi
- Gillespie, IL19 mi
- Staunton, IL19 mi
- Ramsey, IL20 mi
- Carlinville, IL23 mi
- Pocahontas, IL23 mi
- Vandalia, IL24 mi
- Worden, IL24 mi
- Bunker Hill, IL26 mi
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