NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Marion, 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 Marion, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 102
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
34 deaths in all
What the records show for Marion
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Marion; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The record near Marion begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 7 miles away. Of the 4 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Marion has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 102 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 6 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 5 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on December 18, 1957, killed 11 people. Of the 102, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 65 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 28. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Marion. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 103 times since 1971, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Marion has more hail reports within 10 miles than 51% of the 548 Illinois cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Marion
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 4 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 Marion: 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 Marion
By decade
- 2020s17(2 EF3+)
- 2010s32(2 EF3+)
- 2000s16(2 EF3+)
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s12(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s7(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 12 mi | 28.3 mi | 11 / 200 |
| May 29, 1982 | F4 | 1 mi | 17 mi | 10 / 181 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF4 | 15 mi | 26.09 mi | 8 / 108 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF4 | 17 mi | 53.47 mi | 1 / 12 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 5 mi | 16.28 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F4 | 23 mi | 27.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F3 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 25 mi | 19.3 mi | 1 / 10 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 10 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 19, 1991 | F3 | in town | 1.5 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 24 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 11 |
| May 21, 1957 | F3 | 15 mi | 8.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Marion
The Storm Prediction Center has 103 hail reports within 10 miles of Marion since 1971, made on 80 separate days. Of these, 49 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, 31.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Marion
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, 13 miles west of Marion 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%). Creal Springs, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL): 50.6 inches a year, 1.6 more than here, and the same July average high, 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 Marion
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 152 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Marion: 100 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 13 floods, 13 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 27, and the NWS estimated $181.6 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, 6 of 24. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 349 have had fewer than Marion.
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Marion — 23 injured, $175.0 million damage.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Marion — 4 injured, $10,000 damage.
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Marion — $4.5 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 Marion's ZIP code 62959 have filed 208 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.8 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from March storm in 2008: 21 claims (10% of all) and $314,000. The year with the most claims was 1996, with 36. 15% 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, 268 have fewer than Marion.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| March storm2008 | 21 | $314,000 |
Williamson County, which includes Marion, 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 Marion
- Johnston City, IL7 mi
- Herrin, IL8 mi
- Carterville, IL9 mi
- Creal Springs, IL9 mi
- Goreville, IL12 mi
- West Frankfort, IL12 mi
- Carrier Mills, IL15 mi
- Makanda, IL16 mi
- Thompsonville, IL16 mi
- De Soto, IL16 mi
- Carbondale, IL17 mi
- Mulkeytown, IL18 mi
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