NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sumner, 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 Sumner, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 85 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 85
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Sumner
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sumner; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Sumner begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 72 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Sumner is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 85 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 31, 2023, killed 6 people. Of the 85, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 92% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sumner. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1967, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sumner.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sumner
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 65 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 Sumner: 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 Sumner
By decade
- 2020s9(1 EF3+)
- 2010s19
- 2000s7
- 1990s18(3 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(1 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 22 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 24 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 12 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jan 7, 1989 | F4 | 17 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 55 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 15 mi | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 7 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1961 | F3 | 24 mi | 21.2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 10, 1959 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 17 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF2 | 23 mi | 12.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 19, 2022 | EF2 | 21 mi | 26.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 19 mi | 8.81 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 85, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sumner
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Sumner since 1967, made on 41 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on January 17, 2012. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. June has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sumner
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lawrenceville 2WSW, IL, 7 miles east of Sumner at 451 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 46.8 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 40 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 98 nights a year. Snowfall averages 15.5 inches a year, most of it in December. That 46.8 inches is more than at 133 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (91%). Olney, 13 miles west, has its own station (Olney 2S, IL): 48.8 inches a year, 2.0 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 21 | 3.3 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 2.7 | 5 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Apr | 67 | 43 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 63 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 55 | 34 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.4 | 6 | 5.2 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 46.8 | 73 | 15.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lawrenceville 2WSW, IL (451 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 Sumner
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 117 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sumner: 84 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 flash floods and 7 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 28, 2017. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 26. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 371 have had fewer than Sumner.
June 8, 2008: flood 8 miles from the centre of Sumner — $1.5 million damage.
May 9, 2015: thunderstorm wind in Sumner — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “A swath of wind damage extended from west to east across Sumner. Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were blown down in an area about 3 blocks wide and 10 blocks long.”
April 28, 2017: thunderstorm wind in Sumner — $120,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down from Sumner to Lawrenceville between 4:45 PM CDT and 5:15 PM CDT. A few trees were blown onto homes and vehicles in Lawrenceville.”
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
Lawrence County, which includes Sumner, has been named in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1996, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 flood, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Lawrence County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.7 million a year, the 62nd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.4 million (54%), 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 Sumner
- Bridgeport, IL5 mi
- Lawrenceville, IL10 mi
- Olney, IL13 mi
- Vincennes, IN19 mi
- Oblong, IL19 mi
- Robinson, IL20 mi
- Mount Carmel, IL22 mi
- Newton, IL24 mi
- Albion, IL27 mi
- Bicknell, IN29 mi
- Carlisle, IN30 mi
- Princeton, IN30 mi
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