Peoria, IL Tornado History — 159 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Peoria, IL had?
Peoria has had 159 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 10 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Peoria?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Peoria was an EF1 on December 28, 2025.
When is tornado season in Peoria?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Peoria, with 45 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 Peoria
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 54 total, averaging 2.7 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Peoria since December 29, 2025
These are 10 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Peoria. 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 Peoria
5 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Peoria since 1950, across 2 events. 315 injuries have been reported across all events. 2013 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF4 on November 17, 2013, which caused 3 fatalities along a 46.4-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Peoria
About Tornadoes in Peoria
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Tornado weather around Peoria arrives in fits and starts: whole seasons can pass with little more than distant thunder over the Illinois River valley, and then a single unstable afternoon puts the whole metro under warnings. The reason lies in geography. Moist air from the Gulf of Mexico flows unobstructed across the flat central Illinois prairie, and when a sharp cold front or a jet-stream disturbance arrives — typically in late spring and early summer — that moisture becomes fuel for rotating thunderstorms.
The archive maintained by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center shows how deep the local history runs. An F3 tornado on May 14, 1961 tracked 127.1 miles across the region and injured 8 people. On July 23, 1975, another F3, roughly a mile and a half wide, killed 2 people and injured 69. An F4 followed on June 29, 1976, and a later F4 on July 13, 2004 injured 3. The EF4 of November 17, 2013 remains vivid for many residents, with its 46.36-mile track, 3 deaths, and 125 injuries.
What links the generations is variety as much as intensity. The 1950s brought long-track autumn storms, and the 2010s and 2020s have added cold-season entries: an EF3 crossed the area on February 28, 2017, and an EF1 touched down on December 28, 2025. The event list elsewhere on this page traces that full span, decade by decade.