NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Johnston City, 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 Johnston City, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 99 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 99
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Johnston City
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Johnston City; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Johnston City begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 9 miles away. Of the 4 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Johnston City has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The strongest of the 99 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on December 18, 1957; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F4 on December 18, 1957, killed 11 people. Of the 99, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Johnston City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 125 times since 1962, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Johnston City has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 548 Illinois cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Johnston City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Johnston City: 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 Johnston City
By decade
- 2020s17(2 EF3+)
- 2010s32(2 EF3+)
- 2000s16(1 EF3+)
- 1990s9(2 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10
- 1960s4
- 1950s6(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1957 | F5 | 23 mi | 5.4 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 7 mi | 28.3 mi | 11 / 200 |
| May 29, 1982 | F4 | 5 mi | 17 mi | 10 / 181 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF4 | 17 mi | 26.09 mi | 8 / 108 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF4 | 12 mi | 53.47 mi | 1 / 12 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 11 mi | 16.28 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F4 | 22 mi | 27.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 16 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 25 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 19, 1991 | F3 | 6 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 19 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 11 |
| May 21, 1957 | F3 | 19 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 99, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Johnston City
The Storm Prediction Center has 125 hail reports within 10 miles of Johnston City since 1962, made on 88 separate days. Of these, 69 were 1 inch across or larger, and 9 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 30, 2023. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. May has the most reports, 30.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Johnston City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, 15 miles southwest of Johnston City at 390 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 23°F. April is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.0 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.0 inches is more than at 141 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (97%). West Frankfort, 5 miles north, has its own station (Du Quoin 4 SE, IL): 47.8 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 23 | 3.4 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 3.1 | 6 | 4.0 |
| Mar | 56 | 35 | 4.5 | 8 | 1.3 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 3.7 | 6 | 2.7 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 49.0 | 77 | 11.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL (390 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 Johnston City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 227 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Johnston City: 119 thunderstorm wind reports, 57 floods, 30 flash floods, 18 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 24, and the NWS estimated $184.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on January 3, 2000. April has had the most flash floods, 8 of 30. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 401 have had fewer than Johnston City.
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Johnston City — 23 injured, $175.0 million damage.
May 1, 2011: flood 6 miles from the centre of Johnston City — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Johnston City — $6.0 million 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Johnston City's ZIP code 62951 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $135,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 20% 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, 0 have fewer than Johnston City.
Williamson County, which includes Johnston City, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1982, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Williamson County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very 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 $52.5 million a year, the 18th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.7 million (22%), 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 Johnston City
- West Frankfort, IL5 mi
- Herrin, IL6 mi
- Marion, IL7 mi
- Carterville, IL9 mi
- Thompsonville, IL12 mi
- Benton, IL12 mi
- Mulkeytown, IL13 mi
- Christopher, IL13 mi
- Creal Springs, IL15 mi
- De Soto, IL15 mi
- Galatia, IL17 mi
- Carrier Mills, IL17 mi
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