Upper Alton, IL Tornado History — 149 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Upper Alton, IL had?
Upper Alton has had 149 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 15 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Upper Alton?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Upper Alton was an EF2 on May 16, 2025, causing 4 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Upper Alton?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Upper Alton, with 30 on record. April through June account for 84 of the 149 tornadoes on record near Upper Alton.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Upper Alton
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 56 total, averaging 2.8 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Upper Alton 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
Damage photos provided by broadcast media revealed EF-0 tree damage along Warson Woods drive. This aligns well with radar indicated rotation and a video of a very low.. (LSX)
A video from Alton showed the vortex of a waterspout tornado dissipating as it approached the Lincoln Shields Recreation Area. A NWS damage survey was unable to find an (LSX)
NWS Damage Survey found that a brief EF0 tornado impacted a farm near IL Highway 4 and Interstate 70. (LSX)
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 2 SSW White City. Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 2 SSW White City. Tree and power line across the roadway near th (LSX)
Brief weak EF0 tornado knocked down power poles and damaged a solar farm. (LSX)
*** 1 INJ *** Survey crews confirmed a brief EF-1 tornado that did damage within the communities of Moro and Midway... IL... early this morning along a 1.6 mile path. (LSX)
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 1 W Grafton. Significant roof damage to a local restaurant. Time estimated from radar. (LSX)
Within 25 miles of Upper Alton. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Upper Alton
One local storm report has been filed within 25 miles of Upper Alton and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 16, 2025 and the most recent on May 16, 2025. It is already counted in the Upper Alton totals above; quoted below is the narrative the reporting office filed at the time.
*** 5 FATAL... 38 INJ *** Storm survey determined an EF3 tornado began near Clayton and tracked northeast through the city of St Louis and continued into Illinois. It d (LSX)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
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 Upper Alton
39 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Upper Alton since 1950, across 9 events. 749 injuries have been reported across all events. 1959 was the deadliest year on record near Upper Alton.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on February 10, 1959, which caused 21 fatalities along a 23.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Upper Alton
What the record shows near Upper Alton
The 2000s were the busiest decade near Upper Alton, with 38 of the 149 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 23 so far. The Upper Alton record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Upper Alton, 110 reached EF0 or EF1 and 36 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Upper Alton is rated EF4, of which 4 are logged. A further 3 near Upper Alton are unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years Upper Alton has averaged 2.8 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 56 in total. 2024 was the busiest of them with 12, and 5 of those years passed with none at all.