Tornado History

Washington Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on Washington, Illinois. The records below identify 31 tornadoes from 1953 through 2023, including a highest listed rating of EF4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $1.1M, with 2 deaths and 3 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes31
Total Deaths2
Total Injuries3
Property Damage$1.1M
Avg Length8.4 mi
Avg Width77 yd

Key Tornado Facts for Washington, Illinois

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

Average 0.4 tornadoes per year (0.2/yr in last decade)
March is the peak tornado month with 6 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: EF4 in Washington, Illinois with 2 deaths
2004 was the most active year with 5 tornadoes
The 2000s had the most tornado activity (11 events)
Longest tornado: 42.3 miles in Washington, Illinois
Widest tornado: 200.0 yards in Washington, Illinois
Most tornadoes in one day: 5 on May 30, 2004

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 Washington, Illinois, March is the most active month with 6 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

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

5420

Summary: 2004 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
EF4
EFU

Summary: F1 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 14 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.

$275K$28K$3K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1959 with at least $275K in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

EF4 November 17, 20132013F2 March 14, 19531953F2 March 20, 19761976F2 September 24, 19611961EF2 March 8, 20092009EF2 February 28, 20112011F1 February 10, 19591959F1 May 18, 19951995F1 October 6, 19551955F1 April 29, 19561956F1 March 14, 19591959F1 April 17, 19601960F1 June 14, 19611961F1 April 15, 19981998F1 June 18, 1973F1 June 10, 2003F1 May 30, 2004F1 May 30, 2004F1 May 30, 2004F1 May 30, 2004EF1 September 25, 2012EF1 November 17, 2013F0 April 15, 1998F0 May 30, 2004F0 July 21, 2006F0 September 22, 2006EF0 March 8, 2009EF0 March 8, 2009EF0 February 28, 2011EF0 October 24, 2021EFU April 15, 2023© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Washington, Illinois.
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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
November 17, 2013EF4Washington, Illinois10.59 mi200 yd22N/A
March 14, 1953F2Washington, Illinois42.3 mi200 yd00$250K
March 20, 1976F2Washington, Illinois29 mi33 yd00$250K
September 24, 1961F2Washington, Illinois2.7 mi33 yd00$25K
March 8, 2009EF2Washington, Illinois4.29 mi200 yd00N/A
February 28, 2011EF2Washington, Illinois2.34 mi100 yd00N/A
February 10, 1959F1Washington, Illinois29.8 mi33 yd00$250K
May 18, 1995F1Washington, Illinois18 mi200 yd00$130K
October 6, 1955F1Washington, Illinois10.5 mi10 yd00$25K
April 29, 1956F1Washington, Illinois21.9 mi33 yd00$25K
March 14, 1959F1Washington, Illinois7.7 mi33 yd00$25K
April 17, 1960F1Washington, Illinois0 mi33 yd00$25K
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Related Location Pages

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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