Tornado History

Rock Island Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Rock Island, Illinois. The records below identify 40 tornadoes from 1959 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $11.4M, with 0 deaths and 17 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes40
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries17
Property Damage$11.4M
Avg Length4.2 mi
Avg Width114 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Rock Island, Illinois

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

Average 0.6 tornadoes per year (1.7/yr in last decade)
April is the peak tornado month with 8 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F2 in Rock Island, Illinois with 0 deaths
2025 was the most active year with 5 tornadoes
The 2020s had the most tornado activity (13 events)
Longest tornado: 14.43 miles in Rock Island, Illinois
Widest tornado: 880.0 yards in Rock Island, Illinois
Most tornadoes in one day: 4 on Jun 3, 2025

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 Rock Island, Illinois, April is the most active month with 8 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

5420

Summary: 2025 was the most active year with 5 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3

Summary: EF1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 12 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.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1973 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 March 13, 19901990F3 August 15, 19781978F3 June 14, 19741974F2 April 21, 19731973F2 May 16, 19741974EF2 March 15, 20162016F2 August 26, 19591959EF2 June 22, 20152015F1 April 4, 19811981F1 August 20, 19791979F1 May 8, 19881988F1 April 13, 20062006F1 May 29, 19621962F1 July 29, 19871987F1 May 31, 1991EF1 July 16, 2015EF1 October 6, 2016EF1 November 10, 2020EF1 April 4, 2023EF1 April 4, 2023EF1 April 4, 2023EF1 July 15, 2024EF1 July 15, 2024EF1 May 24, 2024EF1 June 3, 2025EF1 June 3, 2025EF1 June 3, 2025EF0 May 30, 2013F0 April 13, 2006EF0 April 20, 2025F0 August 12, 1974F0 August 5, 1979F0 July 27, 1997EF0 June 12, 2008EF0 November 11, 2015EF0 December 23, 2015EF0 October 6, 2016EF0 May 17, 2017EF0 July 15, 2024EF0 June 3, 2025© 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
March 13, 1990F3Rock Island, Illinois12 mi250 yd01$2.5M
August 15, 1978F3Rock Island, Illinois0 mi33 yd00$250K
June 14, 1974F3Rock Island, Illinois6.8 mi33 yd00N/A
April 21, 1973F2Rock Island, Illinois13.6 mi33 yd02$2.5M
May 16, 1974F2Rock Island, Illinois9.2 mi100 yd00$2.5M
March 15, 2016EF2Rock Island, Illinois4.78 mi200 yd010$750K
August 26, 1959F2Rock Island, Illinois5.6 mi50 yd00$25K
June 22, 2015EF2Rock Island, Illinois4.22 mi440 yd00N/A
April 4, 1981F1Rock Island, Illinois4.9 mi100 yd04$2.5M
August 20, 1979F1Rock Island, Illinois1 mi50 yd00$250K
May 8, 1988F1Rock Island, Illinois0.2 mi10 yd00$25K
April 13, 2006F1Rock Island, Illinois1.9 mi880 yd00$5K
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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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