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NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database

Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Knoxville, IL

Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.

No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Knoxville, Illinois since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 106 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.

Hurricanes
0

within 75 mi, since 1851

Tropical storms
0

below hurricane strength

Tornadoes
106

within 25 mi, since 1950

EF3 or stronger
5

3 deaths in all

Tornadoes within 25 miles of Knoxville

By decade

  • 2020s10
  • 2010s14
  • 2000s12
  • 1990s34
  • 1980s5
  • 1970s21(4 EF3+)
  • 1960s8(1 EF3+)
  • 1950s2
Strongest tornadoes near Knoxville, Illinois
DateRatingDistancePathKilled / injured
Jul 23, 1975F324 mi14 mi2 / 69
Jul 23, 1975F325 mi11.1 mi0 / 0
Jun 13, 1975F316 mi6.6 mi0 / 0
Jun 14, 1974F310 mi48.6 mi0 / 2
May 14, 1961F313 mi127.1 mi0 / 8
Sep 26, 1959F215 mi4.9 mi1 / 0
May 17, 2017EF220 mi1.29 mi0 / 1
Mar 15, 2016EF223 mi7.55 mi0 / 0
Mar 15, 2016EF224 mi8.23 mi0 / 0
Jul 16, 2015EF221 mi1.72 mi0 / 0
Jul 16, 2015EF211 mi5.95 mi0 / 1
Jun 5, 2010EF212 mi7.81 mi0 / 0

The strongest 12 of 106, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.

How to read this page

A storm is listed when the centre of its track passed within 75 miles of Knoxville while it was at least a tropical storm, which is the reach of damaging wind and rain for a typical hurricane. Being on the list does not mean the city took a direct hit; the "closest" column says how near the centre came. Tornadoes are counted when any part of the path came within 25 miles.

Tornado records before the 1990s are thinner, because weak tornadoes in open country often went unreported before Doppler radar and mobile phones. A rise in the decade counts is mostly better reporting, not a change in the weather.

Tracks come from the National Hurricane Center's HURDAT2 database, tornadoes from the Storm Prediction Center's database. Both are the official federal records and both are revised as old storms are re-analysed.

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