NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mc Leansboro, 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 Mc Leansboro, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 79 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 79
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
14 deaths in all
What the records show for Mc Leansboro
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Mc Leansboro; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Mc Leansboro 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. Mc Leansboro has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 79 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on February 29, 2012, came within 24 miles. Of the 79, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Mc Leansboro. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1964, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mc Leansboro.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mc Leansboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 6 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 Mc Leansboro: 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 Mc Leansboro
By decade
- 2020s10
- 2010s25(2 EF3+)
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s6
- 1960s6
- 1950s5(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF4 | 24 mi | 26.09 mi | 8 / 108 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 12 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 22 mi | 16.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF3 | 23 mi | 44.13 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 21, 2002 | F3 | 18 mi | 31.5 mi | 1 / 42 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 9 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 8 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 12 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 23, 2012 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.58 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Mar 30, 1982 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 1.14 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 2018 | EF2 | 17 mi | 12.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 79, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mc Leansboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Mc Leansboro since 1964, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 7, 1964. The most recent report is from July 28, 2024. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mc Leansboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mcleansboro, IL, in Mc Leansboro at 446 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 22°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 47.2 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. Snowfall averages 13.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.2 inches is more than at 134 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (92%). Norris City, 15 miles southeast, has its own station (Carmi 3, IL): 48.3 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 3.6 | 6 | 3.7 |
| Feb | 46 | 24 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.3 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.5 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 63 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 55 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.6 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 45 | 26 | 3.5 | 7 | 3.4 |
| Year | 67 | 44 | 47.2 | 75 | 13.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mcleansboro, IL (446 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 Mc Leansboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 68 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mc Leansboro: 41 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 10 floods and 3 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $973,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on August 1, 2024. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 221 have had fewer than Mc Leansboro.
March 3, 2023: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Mc Leansboro — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “North of Mcleansboro, State Route 242 and Blairsville Road was submerged. In Mcleansboro, there were multiple reports of culverts being washed out and sinkholes forming.”
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
Hamilton County, which includes Mc Leansboro, has been named in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 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 Hamilton County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.5 million a year, the 65th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.9 million (16%), 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 Mc Leansboro
- Norris City, IL15 mi
- Thompsonville, IL17 mi
- Wayne City, IL18 mi
- Galatia, IL18 mi
- Eldorado, IL19 mi
- Carmi, IL21 mi
- Fairfield, IL22 mi
- Benton, IL22 mi
- Harrisburg, IL25 mi
- West Frankfort, IL25 mi
- Mount Vernon, IL26 mi
- Sesser, IL28 mi
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