NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wayne City, 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 Wayne City, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 87
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Wayne City
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wayne City; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 50 miles away. The record near Wayne City begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm directly overhead. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Wayne City 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 87 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an EF2 on March 23, 2012, killed 1 person. Of the 87, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2024. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 90% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Wayne City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1998, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 548 Illinois cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wayne City.
Compare Wayne City's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wayne City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 28 | 67 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 Wayne City: 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 Wayne City
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s25
- 2000s13(1 EF3+)
- 1990s12(3 EF3+)
- 1980s10
- 1970s5
- 1960s6
- 1950s11(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 9 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 11 mi | 16.8 mi | 1 / 45 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 17 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 21, 2002 | F3 | in town | 31.5 mi | 1 / 42 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 9 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 15 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 12 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 11 mi | 19.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Mar 23, 2012 | EF2 | 12 mi | 2.58 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Mar 30, 1982 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.8 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF2 | 23 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wayne City
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Wayne City since 1998, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently August 19, 2017. The most recent report is from June 6, 2025. April has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wayne City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Fairfield Radio Wfiw, IL, 14 miles east of Wayne City at 430 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 45.9 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 99 nights a year. That 45.9 inches is more than at 128 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (88%). Mount Vernon, 18 miles west, has its own station (Mt Vernon 3 NE, IL): 45.0 inches a year, 0.9 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Mar | 57 | 36 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 5.0 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 2.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 29 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Year | 68 | 47 | 45.9 | 76 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Fairfield Radio Wfiw, IL (430 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 Wayne City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 85 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wayne City: 39 thunderstorm wind reports, 37 floods, 8 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $14.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 23, 2014. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 90 have had fewer than Wayne City.
July 21, 2006: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Wayne City — 5 injured, $13.0 million damage.
NWS: “Widespread very damaging winds, estimated around 90 MPH by a National Weather Service damage surveyor, raked most of Jefferson County. The city of Mount Vernon was especially hard hit, where about 14 percent of all homes received at least minor damage.”
April 2, 2006: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Wayne City — 1 injured, $40,000 damage.
NWS: “In Wayne City, several trees were down, and a church sustained extensive damage to siding and shingles. A portion of a trailer roof was torn off and deposited in power lines.”
July 29, 2023: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Wayne City — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Nearly all of the damage was in the south and west parts of Wayne City. There were dozens of trees and large tree branches down, several of which landed on homes and cars.”
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
Wayne County, which includes Wayne City, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 26, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wayne County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $13.4 million a year, the 63rd highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 million (33%), 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 Wayne City
- Fairfield, IL13 mi
- Mount Vernon, IL18 mi
- Mc Leansboro, IL18 mi
- Flora, IL23 mi
- Woodlawn, IL25 mi
- Salem, IL28 mi
- Albion, IL28 mi
- Carmi, IL29 mi
- Norris City, IL30 mi
- Benton, IL30 mi
- Sesser, IL31 mi
- Thompsonville, IL31 mi
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