NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Watseka, 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 Watseka, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 115 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Watseka
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Watseka; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Watseka begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Watseka has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 6 times; the most recent, on November 17, 2013, came within 20 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 12, 1976, killed 1 person. Of the 115, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 64% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Watseka. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 23 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 99% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Watseka.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Watseka
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 62 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 Watseka: 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 Watseka
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s21(2 EF3+)
- 2000s18
- 1990s12
- 1980s9(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s10(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 15 mi | 38.5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 20 mi | 29.83 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 5, 2010 | EF3 | 19 mi | 7.75 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 2, 1982 | F3 | 22 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 15 |
| May 15, 1968 | F3 | 12 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 6, 1956 | F3 | 8 mi | 9.4 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 2004 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 17, 1992 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 22, 1990 | F2 | 15 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 6, 1987 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 23, 1976 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Watseka
The Storm Prediction Center has 23 hail reports within 10 miles of Watseka since 1963, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 14, 2006. The most recent report is from August 30, 2024. June has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Watseka
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Watseka 2 NW, IL, 1 mile northwest of Watseka at 620 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 16°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 38.5 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 16 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 134 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 38.5 inches is more than at 46 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (32%). Milford, 11 miles south, has its own station (Hoopeston, IL): 41.0 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 2.1 | 5 | 5.4 |
| Feb | 37 | 18 | 2.0 | 5 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 2.4 | 6 | 1.6 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.3 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 52 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 2.7 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 2.1 | 5 | 4.4 |
| Year | 62 | 40 | 38.5 | 75 | 17.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Watseka 2 NW, IL (620 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 Watseka
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 99 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Watseka: 85 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 5 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $532,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 6, 2012. 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 Watseka.
October 29, 1996: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Watseka — 1 injured.
May 13, 2009: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Watseka — $100,000 damage.
June 21, 2014: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Watseka — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power poles were blown down along Route 24. A warehouse received extensive damage on one end and a farm building also was slightly damaged.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Watseka's ZIP code 60970 have filed 752 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $13.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Early winter storms in 2015: 53 claims (7% of all) and $383,000, then Flooding in 1994 with 22. The year with the most claims was 2008, with 332. 11% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 320 Illinois cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 309 have fewer than Watseka.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Early winter storms2015 | 53 | $383,000 |
| Flooding1994 | 22 | $93,000 |
Iroquois County, which includes Watseka, has been named in 9 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 Iroquois County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $33.9 million a year, the 28th highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.9 million (59%), 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 Watseka
- Milford, IL11 mi
- Clifton, IL15 mi
- Kentland, IN15 mi
- Chebanse, IL18 mi
- Saint Anne, IL18 mi
- Morocco, IN20 mi
- Hoopeston, IL22 mi
- Kankakee, IL24 mi
- Fowler, IN25 mi
- Bradley, IL26 mi
- Momence, IL26 mi
- Bourbonnais, IL27 mi
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