NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit West Frankfort, 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 West Frankfort, Illinois since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 102
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for West Frankfort
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed West Frankfort; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 49 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near West Frankfort begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 10 miles away. Of the 4 systems, 2 have come since 2000. West Frankfort has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 79% of the 548 Illinois cities on this site. The strongest of the 102 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on December 18, 1957; its path came within 19 miles, and it killed 1 person. The deadliest, an F4 on December 18, 1957, killed 11 people. Of the 102, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 66 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 548 Illinois cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than West Frankfort. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 106 times since 1955, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). West Frankfort has more hail reports within 10 miles than 52% of the 548 Illinois cities.
Compare West Frankfort's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near West Frankfort
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in West Frankfort: 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 West Frankfort
By decade
- 2020s15(2 EF3+)
- 2010s33(2 EF3+)
- 2000s18(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10(2 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s5
- 1950s7(5 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 1957 | F5 | 19 mi | 5.4 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F4 | 5 mi | 28.3 mi | 11 / 200 |
| May 29, 1982 | F4 | 10 mi | 17 mi | 10 / 181 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF4 | 21 mi | 26.09 mi | 8 / 108 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF4 | 9 mi | 53.47 mi | 1 / 12 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 16 mi | 16.28 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F4 | 23 mi | 27.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 21 mi | 4.87 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 19, 1996 | F3 | 20 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 19, 1991 | F3 | 11 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 16 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F3 | 15 mi | 20.6 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Dec 18, 1957 | F3 | 25 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in West Frankfort
The Storm Prediction Center has 106 hail reports within 10 miles of West Frankfort since 1955, made on 72 separate days. Of these, 61 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently February 28, 2017. The most recent report is from September 14, 2025. June has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in West Frankfort
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Du Quoin 4 SE, IL, 16 miles northwest of West Frankfort at 420 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 24°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 47.8 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 93 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.8 inches is more than at 136 of the 146 Illinois stations used on this site (93%). Johnston City, 5 miles south, has its own station (Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL): 49.0 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 24 | 3.2 | 6 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 46 | 28 | 2.9 | 6 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 56 | 36 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 76 | 56 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 46 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 55 | 36 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 3.2 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Year | 66 | 46 | 47.8 | 78 | 11.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Du Quoin 4 SE, IL (420 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 West Frankfort
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 239 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of West Frankfort: 119 thunderstorm wind reports, 67 floods, 31 flash floods, 19 heavy rain events and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $11.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on June 19, 2011. April has had the most flash floods, 8 of 31. Of the 547 Illinois cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 411 have had fewer than West Frankfort.
May 27, 2004: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of West Frankfort — 2 injured, $70,000 damage.
May 1, 2011: flood 4 miles from the centre of West Frankfort — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Record flooding occurred on the Big Muddy River. 68 feet on the evening of May 3.”
October 24, 2001: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of West Frankfort — 1 injured, $75,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in West Frankfort's ZIP code 62896 have filed 54 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $525,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from March storm in 2008: 10 claims (19% of all) and $163,000. 31% 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, 171 have fewer than West Frankfort.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| March storm2008 | 10 | $163,000 |
Franklin County, which includes West Frankfort, has been named in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 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 Franklin County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $31.9 million a year, the 31st highest of 102 Illinois counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.0 million (25%), 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.