Tornado History

De Kalb Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on De Kalb, Illinois. The records below identify 28 tornadoes from 1959 through 2024, including a highest listed rating of EF3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $8.3M, with 2 deaths and 12 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes28
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries12
Property Damage$8.3M
Avg Length2.1 mi
Avg Width81 yd

Key Tornado Facts for De Kalb, Illinois

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (1.4/yr in last decade)
August is the peak tornado month with 7 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: EF3 in De Kalb, Illinois with 2 deaths
2021 was the most active year with 6 tornadoes
The 2020s had the most tornado activity (14 events)
Longest tornado: 9.99 miles in De Kalb, Illinois
Widest tornado: 700.0 yards in De Kalb, Illinois
Most tornadoes in one day: 5 on Aug 9, 2021

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In De Kalb, Illinois, August is the most active month with 7 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

6420

Summary: 2021 was the most active year with 6 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF3
Unknown
EFU

Summary: EF0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 10 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$8.0M$800K$80K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2015 with at least $8.0M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

EF3 April 9, 20152015F2 June 18, 19751975F1 July 10, 19591959F1 April 21, 19671967EF1 June 12, 20132013EF1 April 9, 20152015EF1 August 9, 20212021EF1 August 9, 20212021F0 May 14, 19721972F0 May 18, 19821982F0 June 6, 19961996F0 May 10, 20012001F0 June 10, 20032003F0 May 10, 20042004EF0 May 13, 2011EF0 August 10, 2020EF0 November 10, 2020EF0 May 23, 2020EF0 August 9, 2021EF0 August 9, 2021EF0 August 9, 2021EF0 July 28, 2023EF0 July 14, 2024EF0 February 27, 2024Unknown June 30, 1977EFU August 10, 2021EFU July 15, 2024EFU February 27, 2024© OpenStreetMap contributors
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
April 9, 2015EF3De Kalb, Illinois4.83 mi700 yd211$8.0M
June 18, 1975F2De Kalb, Illinois4.7 mi27 yd01$250K
July 10, 1959F1De Kalb, Illinois1 mi60 yd00$25K
April 21, 1967F1De Kalb, Illinois2 mi40 yd00$25K
June 12, 2013EF1De Kalb, Illinois2.27 mi100 yd00$20K
April 9, 2015EF1De Kalb, Illinois1.8 mi100 yd00$5K
August 9, 2021EF1De Kalb, Illinois1.8 mi80 yd00N/A
August 9, 2021EF1De Kalb, Illinois1.5 mi150 yd00N/A
May 14, 1972F0De Kalb, Illinois0.1 mi10 yd00N/A
May 18, 1982F0De Kalb, Illinois0 mi33 yd00N/A
June 6, 1996F0De Kalb, Illinois2 mi20 yd00N/A
May 10, 2001F0De Kalb, Illinois0.1 mi20 yd00N/A
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Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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