NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 110 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 110
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Mattoon
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Mattoon; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre crossed the city. The record near Mattoon begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Mattoon has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 110 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on August 21, 1977, came within 10 miles. Of the 110, 11 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 69% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Mattoon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 68 times since 1955, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mattoon.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mattoon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | overhead | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 7 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 Mattoon: 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 Mattoon
By decade
- 2020s19
- 2010s9
- 2000s21
- 1990s21
- 1980s12
- 1970s15(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 21, 1977 | F3 | 10 mi | 26.9 mi | 6 / 56 |
| Aug 10, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 22, 1963 | F3 | 23 mi | 38.6 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Jul 11, 1958 | F3 | 11 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 18 mi | 48.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 4 mi | 12.88 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 23 mi | 12.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF2 | 3 mi | 15.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | F2 | 22 mi | 15.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 7, 1998 | F2 | 14 mi | 11 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Mar 28, 1998 | F2 | in town | 1.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 17 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 110, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mattoon
The Storm Prediction Center has 68 hail reports within 10 miles of Mattoon since 1955, made on 58 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 14, 2003. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mattoon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mattoon, IL, 1 mile east of Mattoon at 701 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 20°F. April is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 41.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 23 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. Snowfall averages 14.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.5 inches is more than at 100 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (68%). Charleston, 11 miles east, has its own station (Charleston, IL): 43.6 inches a year, 2.1 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 20 | 2.6 | 5 | 5.2 |
| Feb | 40 | 23 | 2.2 | 5 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 51 | 33 | 2.8 | 6 | 1.9 |
| Apr | 64 | 43 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 74 | 54 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 64 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 65 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 57 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 47 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 51 | 34 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.6 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 2.6 | 5 | 3.1 |
| Year | 63 | 44 | 41.5 | 73 | 14.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mattoon, IL (701 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 Mattoon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mattoon: 138 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 flash floods, 11 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $4.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on August 6, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 31. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 411 have had fewer than Mattoon.
August 16, 2012: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Mattoon — 2 injured, $140,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees were blown down and a few power poles were snapped along Route 16 west of Mattoon. Two people were injured when they were hit by falling tree branches as they were trying to take shelter from the storm.”
July 8, 2009: lightning strike in Mattoon — 1 injured.
NWS: “An employee at WMCI radio in Mattoon was injured when lightning struck the radio station tower. The employee was indoors, working on radio transmission equipment.”
April 3, 2018: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Mattoon — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “A steady, but moderate to heavy rain, moved into the southern parts of Coles County shortly after 7 am CDT. 00 inches of rain was measured.”
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 Mattoon's ZIP code 61938 have filed 35 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $248,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1999, with 15. Of the 320 Illinois cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 126 have fewer than Mattoon.
Coles County, which includes Mattoon, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 tornadoes, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms and Flooding, on August 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Coles County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $30.8 million a year, the 33rd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.9 million (55%), 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 Mattoon
- Charleston, IL11 mi
- Neoga, IL11 mi
- Sullivan, IL14 mi
- Arcola, IL14 mi
- Toledo, IL15 mi
- Arthur, IL16 mi
- Greenup, IL20 mi
- Tuscola, IL22 mi
- Shelbyville, IL23 mi
- Casey, IL23 mi
- Teutopolis, IL25 mi
- Effingham, IL26 mi
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