Alton, IL Tornado History — 154 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Alton, IL had?
Alton has had 154 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 16 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Alton?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Alton was an EF2 on May 16, 2025, causing 4 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Alton?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Alton, with 31 on record. April through June account for 88 of the 154 tornadoes on record near Alton.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Alton
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 56 total, averaging 2.8 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Alton since December 29, 2025
These are 7 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Damage photos provided by broadcast media revealed EF-0 tree damage along Warson Woods drive. This aligns well with radar indicated rotation and a video of a very low.. (LSX)
A video from Alton showed the vortex of a waterspout tornado dissipating as it approached the Lincoln Shields Recreation Area. A NWS damage survey was unable to find an (LSX)
NWS Damage Survey found that a brief EF0 tornado impacted a farm near IL Highway 4 and Interstate 70. (LSX)
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 2 SSW White City. Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 2 SSW White City. Tree and power line across the roadway near th (LSX)
Brief weak EF0 tornado knocked down power poles and damaged a solar farm. (LSX)
*** 1 INJ *** Survey crews confirmed a brief EF-1 tornado that did damage within the communities of Moro and Midway... IL... early this morning along a 1.6 mile path. (LSX)
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 1 W Grafton. Significant roof damage to a local restaurant. Time estimated from radar. (LSX)
Within 25 miles of Alton. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Alton
One local storm report has been filed within 25 miles of Alton and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 16, 2025 and the most recent on May 16, 2025. It is already counted in the Alton totals above; quoted below is the narrative the reporting office filed at the time.
*** 5 FATAL... 38 INJ *** Storm survey determined an EF3 tornado began near Clayton and tracked northeast through the city of St Louis and continued into Illinois. It d (LSX)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Alton
45 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Alton since 1950, across 10 events. 786 injuries have been reported across all events. 1959 was the deadliest year on record near Alton.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on February 10, 1959, which caused 21 fatalities along a 23.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Alton
What the record shows near Alton
The 2000s were the busiest decade near Alton, with 37 of the 154 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 23 so far. The Alton record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Alton, 114 reached EF0 or EF1 and 37 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Alton is rated EF4, of which 5 are logged. A further 3 near Alton are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Alton has averaged 2.8 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 56 in total. 2024 was the busiest of them with 12, and 4 of those years passed with none at all.