Palos Hills, IL Tornado History — 192 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Palos Hills, IL had?
Palos Hills has had 192 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 10 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Palos Hills?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Palos Hills was an EF0 on March 19, 2025.
When is tornado season in Palos Hills?
July is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Palos Hills, with 43 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 Palos Hills
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 95 total, averaging 4.8 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Palos Hills since December 29, 2025
These are 9 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Palos Hills. 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 Palos Hills
71 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Palos Hills since 1950, across 8 events. 1,279 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 Palos Hills
About Tornadoes in Palos Hills
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.
Palos Hills, Illinois sits in a region with substantial tornado activity, as documented by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Since 1950, a total of 164 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of the community, making this area one of the more tornado-prone localities in the state. The distribution across decades shows considerable variation, with the 1970s recording 23 events and the 2020s already documenting 50 tornadoes through early 2025, reflecting both increased detection capabilities and active weather patterns in recent years.
The majority of tornadoes in this area have been relatively weak, with 74 rated EF0 and 60 rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which measures tornado intensity based on damage. However, the region has experienced significant violent tornadoes as well, including three EF3 and three EF4 events since records began. July stands out as the peak month for tornado activity, with 35 recorded events, though tornadoes have occurred throughout the warm season when atmospheric conditions favor severe thunderstorm development.
The deadliest tornado on record was an F4 that struck on April 21, 1967, claiming 33 lives and causing $27,500,000 in property damage along a 15-mile path. Another F4 tornado on June 13, 1976 achieved the widest recorded path in the area at 1,760 yards, resulting in 2 fatalities and traveling 3.3 miles. The costliest event was an F3 tornado on March 27, 1991, which caused $27,500,000 in damage but fortunately resulted in no fatalities as it carved a 15-mile path through the region.
More recently, tornado activity has continued with the most recent event occurring on March 19, 2025—an EF0 tornado with a 90-yard-wide path extending just 0.3 miles. The longest-tracked tornado in the historical record was an F1 on July 3, 1960, which traveled 23.6 miles and caused $275,000 in damage without any fatalities.