NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Newton, 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 Newton, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 77 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 77
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Newton
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Newton; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 32 miles away. The record near Newton begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Newton has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 77 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 31, 2023, killed 6 people. Of the 77, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Newton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Newton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Newton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 42 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 Newton: 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 Newton
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s10
- 2000s11
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s8(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | in town | 12.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 18 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 8 mi | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Aug 21, 1977 | F3 | 19 mi | 26.9 mi | 6 / 56 |
| Aug 10, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1961 | F3 | in town | 21.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 8 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 22 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 18 mi | 48.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2006 | F2 | 9 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2006 | F2 | 11 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 77, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Newton
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Newton since 1961, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 25, 1989. The most recent report is from November 18, 2025. June has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Newton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Newton, IL, 1 mile north of Newton at 531 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 22°F. June is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 46.0 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 30 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 106 nights a year. Snowfall averages 16.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.0 inches is more than at 130 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (89%). Dieterich, 14 miles west, has its own station (Effingham 3SW, IL): 44.0 inches a year, 2.0 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 22 | 3.2 | 6 | 5.3 |
| Feb | 42 | 25 | 2.6 | 5 | 3.9 |
| Mar | 53 | 34 | 3.7 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 65 | 44 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 75 | 55 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 65 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.3 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 46 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 35 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 42 | 27 | 3.1 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Year | 64 | 45 | 46.0 | 76 | 16.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Newton, IL (531 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 Newton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 103 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Newton: 70 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods and 8 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 2, 2006. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 25. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 356 have had fewer than Newton.
April 22, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Newton — 1 injured, $120,000 damage.
NWS: “Four camping trailers were blown over at Kuhl's Kozy Kampground. A tree fell on one trailer cutting it in half.”
August 24, 2007: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Newton — 1 injured, $26,000 damage.
April 22, 2011: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Newton — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Part of a metal roof was blown off a house just west of Kuhl's Kozy Kampground.”
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
Jasper County, which includes Newton, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 7 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 Jasper County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.0 million a year, the 78th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (45%), 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 Newton
- Dieterich, IL14 mi
- Oblong, IL15 mi
- Olney, IL18 mi
- Teutopolis, IL18 mi
- Greenup, IL19 mi
- Louisville, IL20 mi
- Toledo, IL21 mi
- Effingham, IL23 mi
- Robinson, IL23 mi
- Sumner, IL24 mi
- Casey, IL24 mi
- Flora, IL27 mi
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