Glendale Heights, IL Tornado History — 176 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Glendale Heights, IL had?
Glendale Heights has had 176 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 9 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Glendale Heights?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Glendale Heights was an EF0 on March 14, 2025.
When is tornado season in Glendale Heights?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Glendale Heights, with 41 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Glendale Heights
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 89 total, averaging 4.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Glendale Heights 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Within 25 miles of Glendale Heights. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
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 Glendale Heights
71 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Glendale Heights since 1950, across 9 events. 1,300 injuries have been reported across all events. 1967 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on April 21, 1967, which caused 33 fatalities along a 15.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Glendale Heights
About Tornadoes in Glendale Heights
This overview was written April 23, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Glendale Heights, Illinois lies within a region that has experienced significant tornado activity over the past seven decades. According to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, 159 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of the city since 1950. The 2020s have seen a notable surge in documented events, with 57 tornadoes recorded so far this decade—more than any previous ten-year period. The 1970s previously held the record with 23 events, while the 1950s and 1960s saw 13 and 20 tornadoes respectively.
Most tornadoes in the area have been relatively weak, with 75 rated EF0 and 56 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on damage. However, the region has also experienced violent tornadoes: three EF3 events, three EF4 tornadoes, and one EF5—the most severe rating possible. July has been the most active month historically, accounting for 38 of the recorded tornadoes, though significant events have occurred in other seasons as well.
The deadliest tornado on record was an F4 that struck on April 21, 1967, killing 33 people and causing $27.5 million in property damage along a 15-mile path. The costliest event was an F3 tornado on March 27, 1991, which produced an equivalent amount of damage but resulted in no fatalities. The widest tornado recorded in the area was an F4 on June 13, 1976, with a maximum width of 1,760 yards; it claimed two lives and caused $2.75 million in damage over a 3.3-mile path.
The longest-tracked tornado was an F3 that traveled 22.6 miles on March 12, 1976, causing $2.75 million in damage but no deaths. Most recently, an EF0 tornado touched down on March 15, 2025, traveling 0.8 miles with a maximum width of 50 yards and causing no injuries or property damage.