McLean County, Illinois
Tornadoes, hail, floods and severe storms recorded here between 1950 and 2026, from NOAA's Storm Events Database. Search an address to see which tornadoes came closest to it.
122
Tornado reports
245
Hail reports
52
Floods since 1996
943
All events
19
Deaths
$44.7M
Property damage
Tornado paths in McLean County
The part of each tornado’s path NOAA recorded in this county, 119 in all. Zoom in and the paths widen to their surveyed width.
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated
Year by year
All storm eventsTornadoes
NOAA's storm database records tornadoes back to 1950 and hail and thunderstorm wind back to 1955, but floods only from 1996 on. Older floods are missing here. For those, the U.S. Geological Survey's stream gauge records and flood reports are the place to look.
Most significant events
The strongest tornadoes, deadliest events and biggest damage here, up to 50.
Tornado F3 Tornado
Tornado F3 Tornado
A 59 year-old man from Normal died of hypothermia after slipping and falling outside.
Weather observers across McLean County reported ice accumulations of up to 0.25. This amount of ice combined with winds gusting as high as 35 to 45 mph caused extensive damage to trees, power poles, and power lines. Several homes were damaged by falling trees and tree branches. A…
Due to poor visibility in dense fog, a two-car accident occurred in rural McLean County just east of Bloomington on December 7th, 2015 at around 11:20 AM CST. The driver of one of the vehicles was killed, while the driver of the other vehicle was injured and treated at a local ho…
A 55 year-old man died in the town of Gridley in northern McLean County on Monday, August 25th as a result of prolonged exposure to heat. High temperatures at the time of his death were in the lower 90s, while heat index values were between 100 and 105. A Heat Advisory was in eff…
A 48 year-old man died on February 3rd from injuries he sustained from a weather-related traffic accident on January 31st. The accident occurred just before 3 PM on January 31st at the intersection of Route 24 and County Road 2480 East in Chenoa when his pick-up truck was struck …
A 19 year-old man died as a result of hypothermia when he wandered away from the Chateau Hotel in Bloomington on January 26th. He was found in a field and pronounced dead at 8:25 AM. Air temperatures were in the single digits and wind-chill readings ranged from -3 to -8 at the ti…
Weather observers measured between 6 and 10 inches of snow across McLean County, including 7.2 inches 3 miles northeast of Bloomington and 9.0 inches in Normal. The heavy snowfall along with significant blowing and drifting caused numerous road closures and traffic accidents acro…
A 72-year old woman died of hypothermia when she wandered away from her home near Bloomington on Sunday, December 1st. Temperatures at the time were in the middle to upper 20s.
A 59 year-old Bloomington woman died on June 7th as a result of extreme heat inside her home. The woman had pre-existing medical conditions that were made worse by the heat. Outside temperatures topped out in the lower to middle 90s: however, readings inside her un-air conditione…
Numerous weather observers across McLean County reported around 6 inches of snow. Snow covered roads resulted in numerous traffic accidents on Christmas Eve, one of which killed a man on I-55 near Shirley, IL when his automobile lost control and was struck by a semi-truck.
Numerous weather observers and automated weather equipment across McLean County reported winds in excess of 35mph and visibilities reduced to less than one quarter of a mile due to blowing snow. Several traffic accidents were reported due to icy road conditions and poor visibilit…
Two to three inches of snow across McLean County caused area roadways to become slick and hazardous. A 27-year old woman was killed when the vehicle she was riding in collided with another vehicle just east of Gridley. Numerous other minor traffic accidents were also reported acr…
A canopy was blown across a road in rural McLean County, causing a head-on collision between two vehicles. The incident took place near the intersection of 1100 N and 600 E. A 91 year-old woman who was a passenger in one of the vehicles died at the scene. The strong winds were ca…
A man was found dead outside near a pond at an apartment complex in Normal on the morning of January 15th. An autopsy report indicated he died due to exposure to the extreme cold. Low temperatures were around 20 below zero with wind chills of 35 below to 40 below zero.
Significant icing was reported in McLean county, with a maximum report of 3 tenths of an inch of ice received around Bloomington. An indirect fatality occurred when a 41 year old male slid across the median in his car into an oncoming semitrailer.
Declared state and federal disaster area. Snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches fell on top of significant ice accumulation. One man died in Downs while cleaning up tree debris brought down by the storm.
A member of the Illinois Wesleyan University football team died from heat stroke several days after falling ill at a morning football practice. Temperatures at the time of the practice were in the middle 80s, with dew points in the lower 70s and a heat index in the lower 90s.
Numerous minor injuries were reported in McLean County due to icy conditions on January 20th. Two people were treated at local hospitals as a result of traffic accidents, while ten others were admitted due to falls.
Numerous roads were closed due to flood waters, including Route 136 between Heyworth and McLean. Part of the I-55 shoulder collapsed near Kickapoo Creek southwest of Bloomington, prompting the closure of the interstate. A dive team from Hudson was deployed to rescue a stranded mo…
Downburst winds of 70 to 80 mph produced a wide swath of damage from Danvers southeastward into the southwest side of Bloomington. One of the hardest hit locations along this path was the Apollo Acres subdivision just north of Illinois Route 9, where 159 homes sustained damage. 1…
Widespread damage was reported countywide. In Stanford, the roof of a business was torn off causing approximately $50,000 in damage. On I-39 northwest of Bloomington, a semi was blown over and at the I-55/I-74 interchange, two semis were blown over. No injuries were reported. At …
In Mclean County as the storms moved through, there were more intense areas of damage due to microbursts (100 to 110 mph) in the Mclean and Leroy areas. In the town of Mclean, a large billboard was bent over and a business on the east side of town lost a large portion of its roof…
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Wind gust observation from personal weather station, relayed through broadcast media.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A semi was blown over near the city of Chenoa.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A transmission pole was snapped and wires were hanging over the roadway at N 2380 E Rd. just south of E 900 N Rd.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Low-lying and urban flooding occurred in Heyworth.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Water was flowing across both lanes of US-136 at 3900 E south of Bellflower.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Water was flowing across the roadway at 1600E and 900N.
Flash Flood Flash Flood
Water was flowing across the road at 19052 Country Road 850 North northwest of Downs.
Flood Flood
A photo showed overland flooding of a stream near Orange Street on the north side of Lexington. Water extended up to some homes and outbuildings.
Tornado EF0 Tornado
A tornado touched down 3 miles southeast of Saybrook about a half mile north of the intersection of East 750 North Road and North 4100 East Road at 7:06pm CDT. The tornado snapped a few large tree branches and peeled back the metal roof of an outbuilding before crossing into the …
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A 59mph wind gust was measured at Central Illinois Regional Airport (KBMI).
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
An emergency manager estimated wind gusts of 60mph.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A 78mph wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Two to three-foot diameter tree limbs were blown down onto a house resulting in structural damage.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Multiple tree limbs were blown down, including one that was approximately six inches in diameter.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A semi-truck was blown over near the I-74/I-55 interchange.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Two large tree branches were broken.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
Two trees were blown over and a large tree branch fell onto a roadway.
Thunderstorm Wind Thunderstorm Wind
A 4 to 5-foot diameter tree was blown down.
Events by year, as a table
| Year | Events | Tornadoes |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 50 | 1 |
| 2025 | 69 | 2 |
| 2024 | 39 | 5 |
| 2023 | 50 | 1 |
| 2022 | 27 | 2 |
| 2021 | 17 | 1 |
| 2020 | 28 | 1 |
| 2019 | 23 | 1 |
| 2018 | 15 | 5 |
| 2017 | 19 | 0 |
| 2016 | 9 | 0 |
| 2015 | 24 | 0 |
| 2014 | 20 | 1 |
| 2013 | 16 | 0 |
| 2012 | 16 | 0 |
| 2011 | 19 | 2 |
| 2010 | 26 | 0 |
| 2009 | 18 | 1 |
| 2008 | 32 | 2 |
| 2007 | 18 | 1 |
| 2006 | 69 | 5 |
| 2005 | 18 | 0 |
| 2004 | 22 | 3 |
| 2003 | 22 | 3 |
| 2002 | 11 | 1 |
| 2001 | 14 | 0 |
| 2000 | 23 | 4 |
| 1999 | 18 | 7 |
| 1998 | 18 | 1 |
| 1997 | 17 | 1 |
| 1996 | 14 | 1 |
| 1995 | 9 | 5 |
| 1994 | 8 | 0 |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | 10 | 4 |
| 1991 | 6 | 3 |
| 1990 | 4 | 1 |
| 1989 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988 | 5 | 0 |
| 1987 | 2 | 1 |
| 1986 | 2 | 1 |
| 1985 | 3 | 2 |
| 1984 | 2 | 0 |
| 1983 | 2 | 1 |
| 1982 | 15 | 8 |
| 1981 | 16 | 10 |
| 1980 | 12 | 3 |
| 1978 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | 4 | 1 |
| 1976 | 6 | 3 |
| 1975 | 7 | 3 |
| 1974 | 11 | 3 |
| 1973 | 7 | 4 |
| 1971 | 4 | 2 |
| 1970 | 5 | 3 |
| 1967 | 1 | 1 |
| 1966 | 1 | 0 |
| 1965 | 2 | 2 |
| 1961 | 2 | 1 |
| 1960 | 4 | 4 |
| 1958 | 3 | 0 |
| 1957 | 1 | 1 |
| 1956 | 1 | 1 |
| 1953 | 1 | 1 |
| 1950 | 1 | 1 |
Search your address
See every tornado that passed within 25 miles of a place in McLean County, measured to its path.
We couldn’t get your location. Check that location access is allowed for this site, or type an address.