NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Paxton, 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 Paxton, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 135 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 135
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Paxton
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Paxton; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 40 miles away. The record near Paxton begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Paxton has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 135 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on November 17, 2013, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 9, 1953, killed 3 people. Of the 135, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 61 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 44. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2025. Paxton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 548 Illinois cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1979, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Paxton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Paxton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 49 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 Paxton: 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 Paxton
By decade
- 2020s25
- 2010s18(1 EF3+)
- 2000s18
- 1990s19(1 EF3+)
- 1980s15
- 1970s18(1 EF3+)
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s12(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 1953 | F3 | 18 mi | 156.7 mi | 3 / 22 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 24 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 13 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 10 mi | 29.83 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 15, 1968 | F3 | 25 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1956 | F3 | 14 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1987 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 24, 1982 | F2 | 14 mi | 23.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1980 | F2 | 12 mi | 34.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1978 | F2 | 23 mi | 16.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 23, 1976 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 135, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Paxton
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of Paxton since 1979, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently July 15, 2021. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Paxton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Paxton 2 WSW, IL, 2 miles west of Paxton at 758 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 15°F. May is the wettest at 4.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 37.9 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 16 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 133 nights a year. Snowfall averages 18.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 37.9 inches is more than at 31 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (21%). Rantoul, 10 miles south, has its own station (Rantoul, IL): 40.3 inches a year, 2.4 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 15 | 2.0 | 4 | 4.9 |
| Feb | 37 | 19 | 1.9 | 4 | 6.1 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 2.6 | 6 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.3 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 52 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 2.2 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Year | 61 | 40 | 37.9 | 72 | 18.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Paxton 2 WSW, IL (758 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 Paxton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 100 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Paxton: 69 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 10 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $3.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on July 13, 2004. May has had the most flash floods, 7 of 19. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 303 have had fewer than Paxton.
August 6, 2018: lightning strike in Paxton — 1 injured.
NWS: “A person was struck by lightning near South Cherry and West Ottawa Streets and suffered only minor injuries.”
August 6, 2018: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Paxton — 1 injured.
NWS: “A motorcycle was blown off Interstate 57 near Mile Marker 263. The rider suffered only minor injuries.”
July 13, 2004: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Paxton — $2.2 million damage.
NWS: “A line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast across the eastern half of Champaign County. In Ludlow, at least 40 homes sustained minor to major damage as well as several businesses.”
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
Ford County, which includes Paxton, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1990, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane, 1 ice storm). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ford County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.8 million a year, the 83rd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (48%), 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 Paxton
- Rantoul, IL10 mi
- Gibson City, IL14 mi
- Fisher, IL17 mi
- Mahomet, IL23 mi
- Saint Joseph, IL23 mi
- Hoopeston, IL23 mi
- Urbana, IL24 mi
- Champaign, IL24 mi
- Milford, IL25 mi
- Savoy, IL28 mi
- Fairbury, IL29 mi
- Oakwood, IL30 mi
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