Randolph County

Randolph County, IL

Data available through 1/1/2013

Date

Time (CST)

F/EF-Scale

Length (Miles)

Maximum Width (Yards)

Killed

Injured

Property Damage

Source*

6/4/1814

12:15 AM

n/a

n/a

0

14

n/a

G

Developed over Ste Genevieve County, MO and moved E near Kaskaskia. Homes were destroyed or unroofed at the edge of town.

2/19/1888

3:25 PM

F3

40

125

0

2

n/a

G

Formed over Ste Genevieve County, MO and moved NE, passing 3 miles N of Chester before moving into Perry County. Two people were injured in destroyed houses at Kaskaskia. The tornado was heard for miles.

3/27/1890

3:00 PM

F2

7

100

0

n/a

G

Formed over Ste. Genevieve County and moved NE and passed over the head of Turkey Island and into Illinois, where it destroyed a barn.

3/27/1890

3:00 PM

F2

33

150

2

n/a

G

Developed over Perry County, MO and crossed the Mississippi River near Rockwood. Reportedly, 18 inch thick trees were carried from the Missouri side of the river into Illinois. This was probably a family of tornadoes that stuck in very rural areas. A child was killed N of Rockwood, and other people were injured. One person died in a home S of Shiloh Hill before the tornado moved into Jackson and Perry Counties, IL. The tornado killed a total of 3 and injured 25.

3/27/1890

5:15 PM

F3

40

500

1

n/a

G

Tornado touched down 1 mile W of Sparta, causing 1 death. Farm after farm was damaged from Sparta to Nashville in Washington County. This event was almost certainly a family of 2 or 3 tornadoes. A total of 2 were killed and 50 injured.

11/17/1892

3:30 AM

F3

12

200

2

n/a

G

Tornado formed 10 miles WSW of Red Bud and moved ENE, passing across the NW part of the town. About 80 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including 43 homes. A mother and child were killed. A total of 7 were injured by this tornado.

11/25/1908

2:00 PM

F2

22

25

0

n/a

G

Tornado reported 4 miles S of Marissa. Houses were overturned, a barn was destroyed and livestock animals were killed. One house was unroofed and turned upside down at "Hill Prairie". A mail carrier was injured, as was the man who ran to warn him. A total of 3 injured occurred.

4/21/1912

7:10 PM

F2

8

70

n/a

G

Tornado formed 5 miles SW of Willisville and moved NE into Perry County were extensive damage occurred in Willisville. A total of 3 people were killed and 23 injured by the tornado.

11/12/1912

5:52 PM

F2

6

80

0

5

>$10,000

G

Formed 2 miles SW of Sparta and moved NE through the S edge of town, finally dissipating near Egan. Fourteen homes were damaged and a few were unroofed.

5/27/1917

5:00 PM

F3

25

200

1

n/a

G

Tornado formed in Perry County, MO and crossed the Mississippi River, passing 4 miles E of Chester. A man was killed when he was crushed by the edge of his home which shifted as he as trying to close the door of the storm cellar. The tornado then moved into Willisville in Perry County, IL causing extensive damage. A total of 25 people were injured.

5/30/1917

5:00 pm

F2

19

n/a

0

n/a

G

Formed over Ste Genevieve County, MO and crossed the Mississippi River, passing SE of "Brickeys". Only minor damage was reported in lllinois.

5/30/1917

6:00 PM

F3

13

100

0

n/a

G

Tornado formed over Ste Genevieve County, MO and crossed the Mississippi River near Fort Gage. Only minor damage was reported in Illinois, but extensive damage as well as 1 death and 4 injuries occurred in Missouri.

3/15/1938

3:20 PM

F2

3

170

0

n/a

G

Formed 1 mile W of Red Bud and moved NE into Monroe County. Barns and farm implements were torn apart on three farms. One house was called "destroyed" and another was unroofed.

3/15/1938

5:50 PM

F3

28

100

0

n/a

G

Formed 4 miles SE of Red Bud and moved NE, causing extensive damage in St. Clair and Washington Counties. Twelve people were injured and property damage was >$65,000 along the tornado track.

3/30/1938

8:00 PM

F2

5

150

0

$20,000

G

Formed 4 miles N of Chester and moved NE. Buildings were destroyed on 7 farms, and included at least 1 barn.

12/2/1950

5:30 PM

F1

10

50

0

$25,000

NCDC

3/18/1952

6:21 PM

F2

5

100

0

$50,000

NCDC

Formed 1 mile N of Evansville and moved NE to 3 miles N of Preston. The most damage was at an Evansville shoe factory, which was unroofed and torn apart. The tornado also ripped garages from 2 homes and damaged other buildings.

11/15/1955

3:30 PM

F1

5

880

0

n/a

NCDC

12/18/1957

2:40 PM

F3

20

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

Formed 4 miles N of Chester and followed an intermittent path to the ENE. A home was destroyed early in the tornado's path. Buildings were damaged or destroyed on 10 farms. Tornado passed near Steeleville before moving into Perry County.

12/18/1957

3:15 PM

F3

18

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado formed over Perry County, MO and moved NE to near "Altenburg" before moving into Perry County, MO near Willisville. About 20 farm buildings were damaged or destroyed, and some barns were destroyed. There was near F4 damage at a house in Altenburg, S of Chester. Tornado then moved into Perry County, IL causing extensive damage at Willisville.

12/18/1957

4:15 PM

F3

6

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

4/5/1958

3:05 PM

F0

5

100

0

n/a

NCDC

5/3/1958

1:15 PM

F1

76

100

0

n/a

NCDC

3/14/1959

9:40 PM

F2

2

120

0

1

>$5,000

NCDC

Tornado reported moving east near Modoc. Heavy damage to 3 residences plus other damage.

3/29/1960

9:40 PM

F2

22

130

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado developed S of Red Bud and followed an intermittent path NNE into St. Clair County.

4/25/1960

2:00 PM

F1

0.5

20

0

>$500

NCDC

Small tornado moved NE near Sparta causing damage to an office building and a junk yard.

5/16/1960

3:15 PM

F1

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado observed by a school bus driver near Baldwin damaged farm buildings.

5/16/1960

3:15 PM

F1

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado caused damage at a country club in Sparta.

3/6/1961

2:30 AM

F2

110

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado caused an intermittent path of damage starting near Chester. Tornado lifted a roof off a school, damaged homes and farm buildings.

12/21/1967

11:00 AM

F3

24

400

0

2

>$50,000

NCDC

Tornado formed over Ste Genevieve County, MO and moved into Illinois at Cole's Mill and continued to the S of Chester. Tornado reported again S of Percy and continue NE into Perry County. Two mobile homes and several outbuildings were destroyed with damage to trees, roofs, and other buildings. Woman and baby injured when picked up near Percy and carried about 400 feet.

5/29/1982

1:00 PM

F3

10

200

0

n/a

G

Developed near Percy and moved E into Perry County near Cutler. Maximum intensity was in Perry County. There were a total of 7 injuries with this tornado.

4/5/1985

4:55 AM

F1

0.5

100

0

>$500,000

NCDC

A tornado entered the SW corner of Tilden and moved NE before dissipating in the center of town. About 25 buildings (including 18 houses) were damaged or destroyed and dozens more sustained minor damage. The United Presbyterian Church was twisted on its foundation.

4/5/1985

4:58 AM

F2

1.75

50

1

3

>$50,000

NCDC

A second tornado, occurring shortly after the Tilden tornado described above, first touched down 0.25 miles SW of Route 13 then moved NE into the south side of Clarmin. The tornado caused localized but severe damage in a trailer park. Five mobile homes were destroyed, some overturned. (The death and injuries occurred in the trailer park). One trailer was blown to the NE; another 50 yards away was blown to the S. Also in the trailer park, an automobile was carried 20 feet and deposited upside down.

4/28/1994

11:30 AM

F0

8

60

0

>$50,000

NCDC

A tornado touched down 1 mile N of Ruma and moved NE before dissipating near Baldwin. The damage path was intermittent but Illinois State Police troopers followed it and observed numerous trees blown down and a few farm buildings damaged.

4/28/1994

12:18 PM

F0

0.3

33

0

>$500

NCDC

The county sheriff reported a brief tornado touchdown in Steeleville with damage mainly confined to large trees.

5/18/1995

12:15 PM

F0

6

70

0

n/a

NCDC

Tornado touched down along Highway 4 where a barn and a shed sustained minor damage. Several trees and branches were also downed. The tornado then crossed Highway 13 and moved into Washington County about a mile W of Highway 153. The tornado caused a total of $6,700 in property damage.

5/18/1995

12:17 PM

F0

4

50

0

$35,800

NCDC

A mobile home was destroyed and several others were damaged shortly after a tornado touched down SE of Tilden. The tornado tracked NE knocking down clusters of trees, but mainly was over open land. It lifted just before entering Perry County 1.5 miles NE of Coutlerville.

4/19/1996

6:00 PM

F0

2

60

0

$500

NCDC

A small tornado touched down in an apple orchard NW of Chester. Numerous trees were destroyed along with a couple of utility sheds.

4/19/1996

6:59 PM

F0

2

70

0

$5,000

NCDC

A small tornado touched down south of Baldwin. Damage was limited to trees and power lines.

4/19/1996

7:12 PM

F0

3

70

0

$5,000

NCDC

A small tornado touched down south of Tilden. Damage was limited to trees and power lines.

4/19/1996

7:15 PM

F0

2

50

0

$9,000

NCDC

A small tornado touched down in the Bremen area. One home and barn suffered roof damage, otherwise damage was limited to trees and power lines.

12/23/1996

2:55 PM

F1

2

70

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado initially touched down 0.5 mile southwest of Evansville, damaging 2 homes and a large utility building. Several large trees were uprooted and a church sustained minor roof damage. The tornado moved across the southern end of Evansville causing mainly tree damage. Two mobile homes suffered minor roof damage. The tornado continued northeast destroying a bowling alley on the east side of town. The tornado then crossed Shuline Road where it damaged 3 homes. One home lost its roof, another half its roof, and the third sustained only minor roof damage. The tornado dissipated about 1 mile NE of town over open farmland.

10/24/2001

1:35 PM

F1

n/a

0

n/a

NCDC

A small tornado formed at Percy along the north side of a bow echo that moved about 60 mph across SE Randolph County. The tornado initially downed large trees, one of which fell on and damaged a mobile home. About 1 mile SE of Percy, the tornado moved through the Southwestern Lakes Country Club where it damaged several large trees.

5/12/2002

6:00 PM

F0

<1

30

0

n/a

NCDC

A brief tornado hit a neighborhood on the south side of Chester. One home suffered roof damage while another had some siding stripped off. Several large pine trees were snapped at the base and a large oak tree was broken 15 feet from the base.

5/6/2003

7:30 PM

F1

0.5

60

0

N/A

NCDC

A small tornado caused damage over a half mile long track southeast of Red Bud. A home located just south of the intersection of Ritchfield and South Prairie Road sustained severe damage. Most of the roof was blown off and the west and south walls were severely damaged. A machine shed was destroyed and another moved off of its foundation. Several large trees in the area were snapped off near the ground.

5/6/2003

7:35 PM

F0

0.1

25

0

$0

NCDC

A storm spotter reported a brief tornado in an open field near Walsh.

11/1/2004

2:00 PM

F0

0

40

0

$0

NCDC

A small tornado uprooted and snapped off large trees at the Sparta Country Club.

11/1/2004

2:03 PM

F0

0

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A small tornado caused damage in downtown Sparta. Half of the roof of a church was blown off, a chimney was damaged, roof shingles blown off a couple of buildings, and some windows broken.

3/11/2006

9:47 PM

F2

23

300

0

n/a

NCDC

The fourth tornado from the Southeast Missouri supercell crossed into Randolph County Illinois about 9:47 pm CST moving across the southern portion of Kaskaskia Island. Debris originating from near St. Marys, Missouri was found in some fields on the island. Numerous snapped or uprooted trees were found on the island. The tornado crossed the Mississippi River on the north side of Chester with a damage path about 300 yards wide. F2 level damage was found just north of the Chester Correctional Center where a number of trees were leveled or snapped off. The tornado produced F1damage at the Gorden Bud Cohen Recreational Complex where three wooden light posts were snapped off near the base, and several ball fields backstops and fences were blown over. Just to the east, three large pole barns and several outbuildings were destroyed, and a house had roof and exterior damage. The damage at this point was 300 yards wide and rated F2. The tornado continued to produced F1 to F2 damage along the remainder of its path through Randolph County with a nearly continuous 300 yard width. A Notable area of F2 damage were found just north and northeast of Bremen along Highway 150. This damage consisted of metal high power electric towers blown down, a destroyed mobile home, a number of destroyed barns and metal outbuildings, roof and exterior damage to several homes, and numerous trees uprooted. F2 damage was also found near Highway 150 about 1.5 miles west of Steeleville. The rear portion of a house had considerable roof and structural damage, several detached garages were destroyed, at least 5 metal outbuildings were destroyed, several barns destroyed, signs broken, and trees and power poles snapped. The tornado finally exited Randolph County about 1.5 miles south of Highway 154 on County Line Road about 10:15 pm CST.

6/4/2008

2:30 AM

EF0

1

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down just south of Illinois Route 154 on South Prairie Road and travelled to the east. It blew down several trees along its path. When it reached Elm Shade Road, it caused minor damage to a couple of machine sheds and shifted a garage on its foundation before lifting and dissipating. Debris from the machine sheds was thrown approximately 300 to 400 yards to the east northeast into an open field.Several boundaries from previous activity remained over the region with very unstable conditions. This helped to trigger another round of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

6/4/2008

2:48 AM

EF0

1

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado initially touched down just southeast of the intersection of Illinois Routes 4 and 13. The tornado travelled to the east along and south of Route 13. One large tree on a farmstead was snapped near the base of the tree. The tornado moved into the west side of Tilden where several large tree limbs were blown down. A large tree limb crashed through the backside of a machine shed just east of Duck Lane. The tornado then tracked just to the north of Route 13 and damaged the roofs of three homes and one building. Also, two garages had large trees fall on them and a small shed was damaged. Debris from the building and shed were tossed approximately 50 to 100 yards to the east and northeast. Additional trees and tree limbs were blown down in this area. As it continued to the east, the tornado only caused minor damage til it reached the east side of town. Northwest of the intersection of Route 9 and Prest Road a small machine shed was destroyed. The tornado then lifted and dissipated.Several boundaries from previous activity remained over the region with very unstable conditions. This helped to trigger another round of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

6/4/2008

2:49 AM

EF0

1

25

0

n/a

NCDC

Another tornado formed south of the Tilden tornado...south of Route 13 along Walnut Street. One large tree fell onto a garage causing major damage. A nearby home sustained minor roof damage. Several other trees were damaged along and east of Walnut Street in an open field. As it travelled to the east it damaged more trees in a cemetery just north of Route 13 before lifting and dissipating.Several boundaries from previous activity remained over the region with very unstable conditions. This helped to trigger another round of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

3/8/2009

10:25 AM

EF1

1

75

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down just southwest of Prairie. As it travelled to the east northeast it damaged 3 homes on Richfield Road. Two of the homes sustained minor roof damage and the other had a portion of its roof removed. The tornado lifted and dissipated just northeast of Prairie.A strong cold front moved through the region triggering showers and thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes were reported with the storms.

3/8/2009

10:27 AM

EF1

2

100

0

1

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down one mile south of Grigg and travelled to the northeast. It destroyed 2 mobile homes and snapped numerous trees along its path. The tornado then caused major damage to the second floor of the two-story Kaskaskia River Hotel before lifting and dissipating one mile west of Baldwin. One of the mobile homes was occupied. The man sustained minor injuries from the tornado.A strong cold front moved through the region triggering showers and thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes were reported with the storms.

3/8/2009

10:33 AM

EF0

4

50

0

n/a

NCDC

A tornado touched down 2 miles east northeast of Baldwin and travelled to the northeast. It removed the roof from a cinder block outbuilding and tossed it across Doza Creek Road. Also, several trees and branches were snapped along its path. It lifted and dissipated 4 miles west southwest of Tilden.A strong cold front moved through the region triggering showers and thunderstorms. Damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes were reported with the storms.

*Sources

G - Grazulis, T. P., 1993: Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films, Tornado Project, St. Johnsbury, VT.

NCDC - National Climatic Data Center U.S. Local Storms Events Data (www.ncdc.noaa.gov)