NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Steeleville, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Steeleville, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 108 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 108
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Steeleville
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Steeleville; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Steeleville begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 51 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Steeleville is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The strongest of the 108 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on December 18, 1957; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F4 on December 18, 1957, killed 11 people. Of the 108, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 48 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on May 19, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Steeleville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 67 times since 1957, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Steeleville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Steeleville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 55 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 Steeleville: 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 Steeleville
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s10(1 EF3+)
- 2000s27(2 EF3+)
- 1990s19(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(2 EF3+)
- 1950s22(8 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1957 | F5 | 23 mi | 5.4 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 23 mi | 28.3 mi | 11 / 200 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF4 | 13 mi | 53.47 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F4 | 19 mi | 27.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 11, 2006 | F3 | 1 mi | 53.5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 8 mi | 4.5 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 23 mi | 60.5 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 16 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 1982 | F3 | 2 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 18, 1975 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 1969 | F3 | 23 mi | 18.1 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Dec 21, 1967 | F3 | 2 mi | 29.8 mi | 0 / 15 |
The strongest 12 of 108, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Steeleville
The Storm Prediction Center has 67 hail reports within 10 miles of Steeleville since 1957, made on 49 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 6, 2003. The most recent report is from April 2, 2024. April has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Steeleville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Sparta 1 W, IL, 8 miles north of Steeleville at 535 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 22°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 45.7 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 35 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 109 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.7 inches is more than at 126 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (86%). Chester, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Kaskaskia Rvr Navigation Lock, IL): 42.8 inches a year, 2.9 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 | 40 | 22 | 3.1 | 5 | 3.5 |
| Feb | 45 | 25 | 2.6 | 5 | 3.4 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 67 | 43 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 54 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 55 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 2.7 | 6 | 2.6 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 45.7 | 71 | 10.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Sparta 1 W, 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 Steeleville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 65 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Steeleville: 57 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $278,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on March 14, 2025. July has had the most flash floods, 2 of 5. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 28 have had fewer than Steeleville.
May 25, 2020: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Steeleville — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “One female was injured by a falling six-inch tree branch. A passer-by removed the limb from her.”
June 15, 2010: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Steeleville — 1 injured.
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
Randolph County, which includes Steeleville, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 6 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Randolph County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $35.4 million a year, the 26th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.5 million (21%), 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 Steeleville
- Sparta, IL9 mi
- Chester, IL10 mi
- Coulterville, IL13 mi
- Pinckneyville, IL16 mi
- Saint Mary, MO21 mi
- Perryville, MO23 mi
- Red Bud, IL23 mi
- Du Quoin, IL23 mi
- Murphysboro, IL24 mi
- New Athens, IL25 mi
- Ste Genevieve, MO27 mi
- De Soto, IL28 mi
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