Rockford, IL Tornado History — 87 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Rockford, IL had?
Rockford has had 87 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Rockford?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Rockford was an EF0 on June 3, 2025.
When is tornado season in Rockford?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Rockford, with 17 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 Rockford
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 50 total, averaging 2.5 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Rockford since December 29, 2025
These are 4 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Rockford. 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 Rockford
28 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Rockford since 1950, across 4 events. 516 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 24 fatalities along a 25.5-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Rockford
About Tornadoes in Rockford
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.
Winnebago County anchors the far northern tier of Illinois, and its seat, Rockford, has watched tornadoes cross the surrounding till plain for generations. On October 9, 1958, an F2 tracked roughly 81 miles through the region and killed 1 person. A grim spring afternoon came on April 21, 1967, when an F4 tore a path about 25 miles long and up to 1,200 yards wide near the city, killing 24 people and injuring 450. Cold-season storms have left marks as well: an EF3 struck on January 7, 2008, injuring 5, and an EF2 followed on November 22, 2010, injuring 6. On April 9, 2015, an EF4 raked communities just outside Rockford along a roughly 30-mile track, killing 2 people, and an EF2 on June 23, 2024, caused about $24.8 million in damage.
Geography helps explain the pattern. Northern Illinois is glaciated prairie — low, open, and nearly unbroken from the Mississippi valley eastward — so little in the landscape blunts the collisions that breed rotating storms. Warm, humid Gulf of Mexico air streams north across this flat corridor in spring, meeting drier continental air and strong jet-stream winds aloft, and the gentle Rock River valley offers a smooth path rather than shelter. Late autumn brings a secondary window when sharp cold fronts sweep the prairie. The event list elsewhere on this page draws on the NOAA Storm Prediction Center's record for the Rockford area.