NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Moweaqua, 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 Moweaqua, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 159 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 159
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Moweaqua
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Moweaqua; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The record near Moweaqua begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Moweaqua has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The strongest of the 159 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 20, 1976; its path came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on August 21, 1977, killed 6 people. Of the 159, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 95 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 42. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2025. Moweaqua has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 66% of the 548 Illinois cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Moweaqua.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Moweaqua
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 19 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 Moweaqua: 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 Moweaqua
By decade
- 2020s26
- 2010s32(1 EF3+)
- 2000s37
- 1990s22(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s27(3 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 1976 | F4 | 17 mi | 63.7 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Aug 21, 1977 | F3 | 23 mi | 26.9 mi | 6 / 56 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 10 mi | 20.9 mi | 1 / 26 |
| Apr 22, 1963 | F3 | 16 mi | 42.9 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Dec 1, 2018 | EF3 | 16 mi | 12.49 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 16 mi | 14.5 mi | 0 / 29 |
| Jun 27, 1951 | F3 | 23 mi | 9.6 mi | 0 / 35 |
| Dec 28, 2025 | EF2 | 9 mi | 23.36 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 14, 2025 | EF2 | 23 mi | 12.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 6, 2023 | EF2 | 6 mi | 25.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF2 | 25 mi | 41.54 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 1, 2018 | EF2 | 10 mi | 8.39 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 159, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Moweaqua
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Moweaqua since 1974. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on November 17, 2013. The most recent report is from March 19, 2025. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Moweaqua
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Decatur Wtp, IL, 15 miles north of Moweaqua at 639 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 20°F. May is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 40.4 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. Snowfall averages 13.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.4 inches is more than at 83 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (57%). Mt Zion, 13 miles northeast, has its own station (Decatur Airport, IL): 36.4 inches a year, 4.0 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 20 | 2.4 | 5 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 39 | 24 | 2.0 | 4 | 2.5 |
| Mar | 51 | 33 | 2.6 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 63 | 43 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.4 |
| May | 74 | 54 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 67 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 65 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 57 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 46 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 34 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 39 | 25 | 2.4 | 5 | 3.5 |
| Year | 62 | 44 | 40.4 | 70 | 13.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Decatur Wtp, IL (639 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 Moweaqua
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 57 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Moweaqua: 43 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods and 4 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 29, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 10. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 125 have had fewer than Moweaqua.
November 10, 1998: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Moweaqua — 1 injured.
NWS: “As a line of thunderstorms moved through the area a 30 foot travel trailer was tipped over in Macon, injuring one person. The man sustained a dislocated hip.”
June 1, 1999: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Moweaqua — 1 injured.
NWS: “As a line of severe storms moved through Macon County, four sheds, several garages and a barn were destroyed. Also, numerous trees and power lines were blown down in Niantic, Elwin, and Mt.”
December 27, 2015: flood 3 miles from the centre of Moweaqua — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “An extended period of heavy rain during the evening of December 26th in Shelby County combined with an already saturated ground to produce flash flooding. 20 inches in less than six hours, with the heaviest rain in the western half of the county.”
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
Shelby County, which includes Moweaqua, has been named in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 2 tornadoes, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Shelby County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.8 million a year, the 52nd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.3 million (37%), 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 Moweaqua
- Mt Zion, IL13 mi
- Pana, IL16 mi
- Taylorville, IL16 mi
- Decatur, IL16 mi
- Shelbyville, IL18 mi
- Forsyth, IL21 mi
- Sullivan, IL22 mi
- Nokomis, IL27 mi
- Oakley, IL27 mi
- Rochester, IL28 mi
- Maroa, IL28 mi
- Pawnee, IL29 mi
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