Marion County

Marion County, IL

Data available through 1/1/2013

Date

Time (CST)

F/EF-Scale

Length (Miles)

Maximum Width (Yards)

Killed

Injured

Property Damage

Source*

4/16/1922

10:45 PM

F3

46

200

0

n/a

n/a

G

Touched down in Washington County and moved through Jefferson County before dissipating in southern Marion County.  This tornado killed 4, injured 22, and caused >$100,000 in property damage along its path.

3/14/1953

8:15 PM

F2

42

200

0

0

n/a

G, NCDC

Followed an intermittent path through Washington and Jefferson Counties before moving into Marion County.  One home was destroyed and many other buildings were damaged along the path.  A total of $75,000 in property damage.

4/29/1956

1:00 AM

F1

22

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

5/3/1958

1:15 PM

F1

76

100

0

0

n/a

NCDC

2/10/1959

2:30 AM

F1

30

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado followed an intermittent path from near Nashville in Washington County NE to near Cartter.  Four farmsteads reported damage near Cartter.  Witnesses reported a "terrific roar".

7/30/1959

5:40 PM

F1

n/a

n/a

0

0

>$500

NCDC

Probable small tornado destroyed a two-car garage near Centralia.

6/28/1960

11:00 PM

F1

n/a

n/a

0

0

>$500

NCDC

A small tornado destroyed a garage and 2 sheds at Sandoval. 

5/7/1973

6:40 PM

F1

n/a

n/a

0

1

n/a

NCDC

A tornado caused damage to several homes and one house trailer at Patoka, resulting in the injury to one child.

3/29/1974

3:40 PM

F1

n/a

n/a

0

0

$0

NCDC

A tornado was sighted by the Sheriff's Department 5 miles E of Salem, damaging only a few trees.

4/18/1975

6:00 PM

F1

3

50

0

0

>$50,000

NCDC

A tornado left a telltale path of uprooted trees and debris in Hillcrest Memorial Park in northern Centralia before downing 540 feet of a 600 foot cable TV tower.  A mobile home near the tower was tossed 75 feet downhill into a ravine and totally destroyed.  Two other mobile homes in the area were damaged.

4/18/1975

6:21 PM

F1

2

50

0

0

>$50,000

NCDC

A tornado touched down at the Petrolane Gas Company in Salem and traveled NE across the town damaging houses, smashing garages, and downing power, cable TV, and telephone lines before dissipating near Salem Community High School.  At the Petrolane plant on U.S. Highway 50, the bottle dock was completely destroyed and major damage occurred to the office buildings and two trucks.  Roofs from several homes along the path were heavily damaged and roofing and siding were ripped from several other homes.  Several garages were completely destroyed; one house was blown 8 feet eastward from it foundation.  Further down the storm's path, a garage was ripped from a house and the house was partially destroyed.  Beams from the garage were driven into a roof 2 blocks away.  Before dissipating, the tornado cut a path through trees in the city park.

3/20/1976

12:25 AM

F2

39

250

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down in St. Clair County and moved across Washington County before dissipating near Centraila.

4/19/1996

6:35 PM

F2

20

150

0

7

$7,000,000

NCDC

Marion County was declared a Federal Disaster Area as a tornado, reaching F2 strength at its peak, created a 20 mile path of destruction from south of Odin to east of Salem. The bulk of the damage occurred on the south side of the city of Salem. The tornado moved through the county Fairgrounds, destroying numerous buildings and ripping the roofs off others. Two 2-ton trucks were turned 180 degrees by the tornado. Red Cross damage assessment teams determined that 6 mobile homes and 2 homes were destroyed in the Marion area. Another 46 homes and mobile homes were damaged. At least 23 businesses in Marion were damaged, 17 in one shopping center. Power was out to over 4000 residents. Two more homes were destroyed about 5 miles east of Marion. In one of the mobile homes destroyed on the south side of Marion, a mother and her 4 year old son took the ride of their lives. They were on the couch when the tornado struck, and ended up about 100 yards away in the middle of the debris. Both escaped serious injury. Total damage was estimated between 5 and 7 million dollars. There were only 7 injuries, all minor, primarily cuts and bruises.

4/19/1996

7:05 PM

F1

3

50

0

0

$70,000

NCDC

A tornado touched down in extreme east Marion County, destroying one farm house, a barn and several other farm buildings. Trees and power lines were also downed. The tornado then crossed the Clay County line and continued for another 2 miles.

4/19/1996

7:23 PM

F1

7

50

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A small tornado traveled through parts of Fayette and Marion counties, creating an 11 mile damage path ranging from 50 to 80 yards in width. The tornado reached F1 intensity 3 times along the path. One home and barn were destroyed in extreme southeast Fayette County in the early stages of the tornado, a barn and several sheds were destroyed just north of Patoka in Marion County, and another barn and sheds were destroyed when the tornado crossed into Fayette County again southeast of Shobonier.

5/25/1996

7:50 PM

F0

1

50

0

0

$10,000

NCDC

Illinois State Police reported a small tornado touched down briefly south of Odin. Damage was limited to trees and power lines.

6/10/1996

2:00 PM

F0

n/a

n/a

0

0

$0

NCDC

A Marion County Sheriff Deputy reported a very brief tornado touchdown in the north part of the county near the Fayette County line.

4/15/1998

6:49 PM

F2

1

350

0

0

$50,000

NCDC

A tornado which formed in Jefferson County near Cravat moved northeast into Marion County at Walnut Hill. Witnesses who saw the tornado noted a twin structure; two vortices very close to one another. Three homes suffered exterior wall or roof damage while five barns/farm implement buildings were destroyed. Trees were also uprooted.

4/15/1998

6:52 PM

F2

4

300

0

0

n/a

NCDC

The thunderstorm which spawned the tornado from Cravat to Walnut Hill produced another twin/multiple vortex tornado from just northeast of Walnut Hill to the intersection of Interstate 57 and Illinois Route 161. The tornado moved through a heavily wooded area and destroyed several barns/farm implement buildings, one mobile home, and damaged several homes. The tornado narrowed in width, losing its twin characteristics as it approached the intersection of Interstate 57 and State Route 161. Six homes were damaged, one mobile home destroyed, and eleven barn/farm implement buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed. Two tractor trailers were overturned by the tornado near the intersection of I-57/161.

4/15/1998

7:05 PM

F1

9

250

0

0

n/a

NCDC

The Cravat/Walnut Hill supercell thunderstorm produced a third tornado, this one starting southwest of Cartter near the intersection of Highways 37 and 161. One mobile home was destroyed, 18 barns/farm implement buildings were damaged or destroyed, and 8 homes suffered varying degrees of damage. Acres of trees were also uprooted/damaged along the path.

5/5/1999

5:05 PM

F1

0

75

0

4

n/a

NCDC

A brief tornado destroyed a mobile home, 2 outbuildings and downed several trees just east of Kell. The 4 occupants of the mobile home were treated for minor injuries.

5/1/2002

1:10 PM

F1

7

40

0

0

n/a

NCDC

5/1/2002

1:11 PM

F1

7

40

0

0

n/a

NCDC

5/1/2002

1:15 PM

F1

3

40

0

0

n/a

NCDC

Three tornadoes caused damage near Kinmundy. The first tornado caused considerable damage to a 2 story structure near the intersection of Highway 37 and Kinoka Road. The roof and 2 walls of the structure were thrown across Highway 37 into the woods. There was also tree and power line damage along the path. 

5/9/2002

1:11 AM

F1

1

100

2

0

n/a

NCDC

A small but deadly tornado struck the south part of Centralia and devastated the Rosewood and Collinsworth Mobile Home Parks. Forming quickly on the leading edge of a squall line, the tornado hit shortly after 200 am, when most residents were asleep. An Illinois Emergency Management Agency damage assessment listed 12 mobile homes as being destroyed, 1 home destroyed, 1 mobile home with major damage, 1 home with minor damage, and 3 mobile homes with minor damage. 2 people were killed, both in mobile homes.

11/15/2005

2:35 PM

F1

5

100

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado first formed about 2:35 PM CST near Hays and Sullivan Road about 10 miles northeast of Salem. The tornado moved northeast and crossed Stephen A. Forbes State Park causing tree damage along the way. Most of the damage was F0 in nature except for one area in the western part of the park where F1 tree damage was noted. After moving across the park, the tornado destroyed a 32 foot travel trailer and a machine shed. The damage in this area was rated F1 and was about 50 yards wide. The tornado continued east and crossed Butts Road just east of Meacham Road. At least 3 farms in this area suffered damage. One home lost its entire roof, several machine sheds and outbuildings were destroyed, and large trees were downed. The damage was rated F1 and was about 100 yards wide. The tornado continued northeast and dissipated just south of Kinlou Road. Total path length was 5 miles.

2/5/2008

6:12 PM

EF0

n/a

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado briefly touched down along Medlin Road half a mile south of Illinois Route 161. It caused moderate damage to a machine shed with significant pieces of roof strewn up to a quarter of a mile southeast of the shed. An adjacent abandoned house had two uprooted trees laid to the east across its roof. No other damage was found.A strong cold front moved through the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms were severe with large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. There were also two brief tornado touchdowns in Marion county Illinois.

2/5/2008

6:12 PM

EF0

n/a

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A second tornado briefly touched down at the same time about a mile south of Illinois Route 161 on Medlin Road. A machine shed sustained major damage with the north, west and south faces of the shed buckled and collapsed. An attached awning was completely upturned and thrown to the southeast. Also, the entire roof was lifted and thrown 100 yards to the southeast.A strong cold front moved through the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms were severe with large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding. There were also two brief tornado touchdowns in Marion county Illinois. 

6/3/2008

6:54 AM

EF0

n/a

n/a

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado briefly touched down in a farm destroying a machine shed and flipped over an unoccupied and unanchored mobile home. Also, the farm house sustained minor roof damage and several trees were blown over.A warm front lifted northward across the forecast area...triggering several rounds of thunderstorms during the evening hours of June 2nd into the morning hours of June 3rd. 

4/19/2011

8:02 PM

EF1

0.4

75

0

0

n/a

NCDC

A warm front was lifting northward through the region, triggering numerous showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms produced tornadoes as well as a lot of large hail. There were 6 tornadoes with this event. A tornado touched down approximately 1 mile east of the Centralia Municipal Airport, west of Moonglow Road and south of Illinois Route 161. Several large healthy trees were uprooted in this area and a convergent pattern was found. A house on the southwest corner of Moonglow Road and Illinois Route 161 sustained EF1 damage when the roof of an attached workshop or garage on the south side of the house was uplifted and thrown to the northwest. At least one 2x4 was driven into the roof on the north side of the house. A house on the southeast corner of Moonglow Rd. and Illinois Route 161 sustained minor roof damage. A trampoline on the south side of this house was blown back to the northwest and was found on the north side of Illinois Route 161. Debris was scattered into a field on the northwest corner of Moonglow Road and Illinois Route 161. As the tornado travelled to the northeast, it crossed Illinois Route 161 and damaged the east facing side of a small outbuilding on the northeast corner of Moonglow Road and Illinois Route 161. Further to the northeast, a new pole barn located east of Moonglow Road and south of Firewood Lane collapsed. Then the tornado lifted and dissipated. The total length of this tornado was about 0.4 miles with a maximum width of 50 to 75 yards. Maximum damage was rated EF1 with winds of 95 mph.

3/23/2012

12:57 PM

EF0

0.5

10

0

0

0

NCDC

A tornado briefly touched down in an open field. No damage was reported.