NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waterman, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Waterman, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1900. Since 1950, 131 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 131
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Waterman
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Waterman; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1900, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. Of the 548 Illinois cities on this site, 57% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Waterman. The strongest of the 131 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on August 28, 1990; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 29 people. Of the 131, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 86 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waterman. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 21 times since 1983, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 99% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waterman.
Compare Waterman's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waterman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Unnamed 1900 stormSep 11 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Waterman: 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 Waterman
By decade
- 2020s45
- 2010s22(1 EF3+)
- 2000s19
- 1990s8(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s14(2 EF3+)
- 1960s7
- 1950s9(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 28, 1990 | F5 | 23 mi | 16.4 mi | 29 / 350 |
| Apr 9, 2015 | EF4 | 23 mi | 30.14 mi | 2 / 11 |
| Dec 6, 1951 | F3 | 20 mi | 21.9 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Jun 30, 1977 | F3 | 16 mi | 6.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 24 mi | 22.6 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 20 mi | 9.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2015 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.8 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jul 8, 1993 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 1978 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 1975 | F2 | 18 mi | 4.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 21, 1967 | F2 | 25 mi | 2.68 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Aug 15, 1958 | F2 | 9 mi | 74.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 131, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waterman
The Storm Prediction Center has 21 hail reports within 10 miles of Waterman since 1983, made on 18 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently February 27, 2024. The most recent report is from February 27, 2024. May and June have the most reports, 4 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waterman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Shabbona 5 NNE, IL, 7 miles northwest of Waterman at 861 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 28°F and 13°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 37.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from May to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 144 nights a year. That 37.5 inches is more than at 22 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (15%). Hinckley, 7 miles east, has its own station (Chicago Aurora Municipal Airport, IL): 33.9 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 13 | 1.7 | 5 |
| Feb | 32 | 17 | 1.9 | 5 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 3.6 | 7 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 62 | 39 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 33 | 19 | 2.1 | 5 |
| Year | 58 | 38 | 37.5 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Shabbona 5 NNE, IL (861 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 Waterman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 82 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waterman: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on June 12, 2013. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 70 have had fewer than Waterman.
September 14, 2008: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Waterman — $2.0 million damage.
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
DeKalb County, which includes Waterman, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 floods, 3 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives DeKalb County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $47.4 million a year, the 21st highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.3 million (51%), 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 Waterman
- Hinckley, IL7 mi
- Somonauk, IL10 mi
- Leland, IL10 mi
- Dekalb, IL11 mi
- Sandwich, IL11 mi
- Cortland, IL11 mi
- Malta, IL13 mi
- Earlville, IL14 mi
- Plano, IL14 mi
- Maple Park, IL15 mi
- Sycamore, IL16 mi
- Sugar Grove, IL17 mi
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