NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Norris City, 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 Norris City, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Norris City
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Norris City; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Norris City begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 21 miles away. Norris City has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 62% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on February 29, 2012, came within 13 miles. Of the 78, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Norris City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1989, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Norris City.
Compare Norris City's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Norris City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 7 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 Norris City: 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 Norris City
By decade
- 2020s21(1 EF3+)
- 2010s18(2 EF3+)
- 2000s8
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s8
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF4 | 13 mi | 26.09 mi | 8 / 108 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 21 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF3 | 15 mi | 44.13 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jul 9, 2024 | EF3 | 24 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 21 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 16, 1963 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 15 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF2 | 23 mi | 9.93 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 11.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 11.95 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 13 mi | 1.14 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Norris City
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Norris City since 1989, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on April 24, 2002. The most recent report is from March 31, 2023. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Norris City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carmi 3, IL, 10 miles northeast of Norris City at 335 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 21°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 48.3 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 11.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 48.3 inches is more than at 138 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (95%). Eldorado, 13 miles southwest, has its own station (Harrisburg, IL): 47.7 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Feb | 46 | 23 | 3.1 | 6 | 4.9 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 4.4 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 63 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 55 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 56 | 32 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 3.9 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Year | 67 | 43 | 48.3 | 77 | 11.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carmi 3, IL (335 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 Norris City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 64 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Norris City: 44 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 9 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 120 mph, on April 19, 2011. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 125 have had fewer than Norris City.
June 12, 2021: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Norris City — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Several power poles were downed off Highway 141 west of New Haven. Widespread crop damage from wind and some hail was observed across eastern parts of Gallatin County between Highway 1 and the Ohio River.”
April 19, 2011: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Norris City — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “The rubber roofing was blown off the high school gym in Norris City. The gym was further damaged by rainwater.”
April 2, 2006: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Norris City — $100,000 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
White County, which includes Norris City, has been named in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1983, 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 White County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.9 million a year, the 59th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.6 million (31%), 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 Norris City
- Carmi, IL11 mi
- Eldorado, IL13 mi
- Mc Leansboro, IL15 mi
- Galatia, IL20 mi
- Harrisburg, IL21 mi
- Mount Vernon, IN23 mi
- New Harmony, IN23 mi
- Thompsonville, IL25 mi
- Carrier Mills, IL27 mi
- Fairfield, IL28 mi
- Wadesville, IN30 mi
- Wayne City, IL30 mi
All Illinois cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Norris City with another place →