Tornado History

McDonough Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on McDonough, Illinois. The records below identify 43 tornadoes from 1957 through 2026, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $1.9M, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes43
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries2
Property Damage$1.9M
Avg Length4.9 mi
Avg Width115 yd

Key Tornado Facts for McDonough, Illinois

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

Average 0.6 tornadoes per year (1.6/yr in last decade)
May is the peak tornado month with 11 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F3 in McDonough, Illinois with 0 deaths
1973 was the most active year with 3 tornadoes
The 2020s had the most tornado activity (10 events)
Longest tornado: 23 miles in McDonough, Illinois
Widest tornado: 1,000.0 yards in McDonough, Illinois
Most tornadoes in one day: 2 on Jun 2, 1973

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 McDonough, Illinois, May is the most active month with 11 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

3210

Summary: 1973 was the most active year with 3 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
EFU

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 9 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.

$400K$40K$4K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 2003 with at least $400K in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 May 21, 19571957F3 April 21, 19641964F2 September 27, 19591959F2 April 13, 19741974EF2 March 15, 20162016F2 March 12, 19821982F2 April 5, 19991999EF2 April 17, 20262026F1 May 10, 20032003F1 April 2, 20062006F1 May 16, 19601960F1 July 18, 19711971F1 June 2, 19731973F1 April 30, 19971997EF1 April 20, 2025EF1 April 20, 2025F1 June 2, 1973F1 August 8, 1973F1 June 21, 1974EF1 December 23, 2015EF1 May 24, 2019EF1 May 24, 2019EF1 May 31, 2022EF1 April 4, 2023F0 July 25, 1992F0 April 30, 1997EF0 June 21, 2010F0 June 24, 1975F0 June 20, 1974F0 June 8, 1981F0 May 17, 1991F0 July 25, 1992F0 July 19, 1997F0 May 12, 1998EF0 December 27, 2008EF0 May 9, 2016EF0 December 1, 2018EF0 December 1, 2018EFU July 8, 2022EFU May 13, 2022EFU June 13, 2024EFU June 13, 2024EFU May 19, 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
May 21, 1957F3McDonough, Illinois13.7 mi120 yd00$250K
April 21, 1964F3McDonough, Illinois14.1 mi17 yd00$25K
September 27, 1959F2McDonough, Illinois9.4 mi200 yd01$250K
April 13, 1974F2McDonough, Illinois15.2 mi500 yd00$250K
March 15, 2016EF2McDonough, Illinois8.23 mi400 yd00$200K
March 12, 1982F2McDonough, Illinois0 mi33 yd01$25K
April 5, 1999F2McDonough, Illinois6.4 mi100 yd00$6K
April 17, 2026EF2McDonough, Illinois6.02 mi200 yd00N/A
May 10, 2003F1McDonough, Illinois23 mi200 yd00$400K
April 2, 2006F1McDonough, Illinois12 mi233 yd00$150K
May 16, 1960F1McDonough, Illinois0 mi33 yd00$25K
July 18, 1971F1McDonough, Illinois0 mi33 yd00$25K
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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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