NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Oblong, 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 Oblong, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Oblong
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Oblong; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Oblong begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Oblong has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 31, 2023, killed 6 people. Of the 74, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Oblong. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1977, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 84% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Oblong.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Oblong
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 46 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 Oblong: 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 Oblong
By decade
- 2020s10(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s7
- 1990s16(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s9(3 EF3+)
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 7 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 22 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 4 mi | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Aug 21, 1977 | F3 | 23 mi | 26.9 mi | 6 / 56 |
| Aug 10, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 23 mi | 23.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1961 | F3 | 15 mi | 21.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 5 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 23 mi | 48.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF2 | 9 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 2006 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Oblong
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Oblong since 1977, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 16, 2025, the most recent report. April and May have the most reports, 14 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Oblong
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Robinson, IL, 7 miles east of Oblong at 535 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 20°F. April is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 45.7 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 39 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 114 nights a year. That 45.7 inches is more than at 127 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (87%). Newton, 15 miles west, has its own station (Newton, IL): 46.0 inches a year, 0.3 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 20 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.4 | 5 |
| Mar | 53 | 33 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Apr | 66 | 43 | 5.2 | 8 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.5 | 4 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Oct | 68 | 44 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 42 | 25 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 45.7 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Robinson, IL (535 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 Oblong
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 126 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Oblong: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. 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 86 mph, on April 9, 2001. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 349 have had fewer than Oblong.
April 16, 2006: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Oblong — $775,000 damage.
June 6, 2008: flood 10 miles from the centre of Oblong — $340,000 damage.
April 2, 2006: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Oblong — $120,000 damage.
NWS: “Two mile wide swath of damage between Oblong and Robinson. An airport hanger and four airplanes inside were destroyed at the Robinson Municipal Airport.”
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
Crawford County, which includes Oblong, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1985, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 severe storms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Crawford County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.2 million a year, the 61st highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.7 million (47%), 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 Oblong
- Robinson, IL8 mi
- Newton, IL15 mi
- Sumner, IL19 mi
- Casey, IL21 mi
- Bridgeport, IL21 mi
- Greenup, IL21 mi
- Olney, IL22 mi
- Martinsville, IL22 mi
- Lawrenceville, IL23 mi
- Toledo, IL27 mi
- Sullivan, IN27 mi
- Carlisle, IN28 mi
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