NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Olney, 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 Olney, 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
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Olney
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Olney; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Olney begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Olney 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 3 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, passed within a mile of the city centre. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 31, 2023, killed 6 people. Of the 77, 14 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 95% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Olney. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 47 times since 1982, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Olney.
Compare Olney's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Olney
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 60 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 Olney: 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 Olney
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s17
- 2000s10
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 18 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | in town | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 7, 1989 | F4 | 24 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 55 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 12 mi | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1961 | F3 | 18 mi | 21.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 14 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 15 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 19 mi | 10.28 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 19 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF2 | 25 mi | 5.5 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 Olney
The Storm Prediction Center has 47 hail reports within 10 miles of Olney since 1982, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 29, 2023. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. May and June have the most reports, 9 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Olney
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Olney 2S, IL, 2 miles south of Olney at 459 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 48.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 105 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.8 inches is more than at 139 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (95%). Sumner, 13 miles east, has its own station (Lawrenceville 2WSW, IL): 46.8 inches a year, 2.0 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 21 | 3.5 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Feb | 43 | 24 | 2.6 | 5 | 2.6 |
| Mar | 53 | 32 | 4.2 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Apr | 66 | 43 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 5.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 44 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 42 | 26 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.7 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 48.8 | 76 | 10.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Olney 2S, IL (459 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 Olney
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Olney: 80 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $781,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on June 1, 1999. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 151 have had fewer than Olney.
May 7, 2008: lightning strike in Olney — 3 injured, $62,000 damage.
NWS: “A lightning strike to a 60 foot tall brick chimney in downtown Olney resulted in damage to 16 autos and the roof of the building. Bricks were thrown as far as one block away.”
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
Richland County, which includes Olney, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 5 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 2 snowstorms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Richland 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 $12.3 million a year, the 67th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (34%), 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 Olney
- Sumner, IL13 mi
- Bridgeport, IL17 mi
- Newton, IL18 mi
- Oblong, IL22 mi
- Louisville, IL22 mi
- Flora, IL22 mi
- Lawrenceville, IL23 mi
- Albion, IL24 mi
- Mount Carmel, IL26 mi
- Robinson, IL27 mi
- Dieterich, IL27 mi
- Fairfield, IL28 mi
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