Springfield, IL Tornado History — 167 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Springfield, IL had?
Springfield has had 167 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 11 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Springfield?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Springfield was an EF1 on June 18, 2025.
When is tornado season in Springfield?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Springfield, with 35 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 Springfield
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 58 total, averaging 2.9 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Springfield 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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 Springfield. 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 Springfield
4 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Springfield since 1950, across 3 events. 168 injuries have been reported across all events. 1957 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on June 14, 1957, which caused 2 fatalities along a 4.3-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Springfield
About Tornadoes in Springfield
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.
Springfield, Illinois carries the scar of June 14, 1957, when an F4 tornado swept through the area, killing 2 people, injuring about 50, and leaving damage estimated near 2.75 million dollars. The state capital sits on flat central Illinois prairie, squarely in the path of migrating storm systems. In spring, humid air streaming north from the Gulf of Mexico collides here with cooler, drier air off the northern plains, and a vigorous jet stream overhead supplies the wind shear that lets thunderstorms organize and rotate. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center's severe-weather record for the Springfield area stretches from the 1950s into the 2020s.
An F3 on April 25, 1961 tracked roughly 64 miles across the region. Another F3 on May 9, 1995 plowed a swath about 50 miles long and 880 yards wide, injuring 6 people. On August 19, 2009, an EF3 carved a 24-mile path and injured 19 people, with an EF2 nearby the same day. Cold-season outbreaks strike here too: an EF3 on December 31, 2010 caused about 12 million dollars in damage, and an EF3 on December 1, 2018 injured 22 people along a track some 900 yards wide, with losses near 119 million dollars. The event list elsewhere on this page traces the rest, through a brief EF1 on June 18, 2025.