Charleston

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Coles County, the county that contains Charleston.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

The drought index is for Coles County, the county that contains Charleston.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 26, 2003Tornado$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down 4 miles north northeast of Mattoon near a printing plant. It then traveled east damaging several buildings at the plant. Almost 500,000 square feet of the roof was damaged or destroyed. Contents in the buildings including electronic equipment and over 5 million pounds of paper were damaged. With over 400 employees in the plant at the time of the tornado, only one person suffered minor injuries but didn't need immediate medical attention. After hitting the plant, the tornado damaged some outbuildings at a nearby farm before lifting and dissipating. Damage to the plant was estimated around $10 million.

2. Jun 1, 1999Flash Flood$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Slow moving thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall across the area during the late evening hours on June 1st and early morning hours of June 2nd. Rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches were common within a three hour period in eastern Shelby County and central Coles County. In Coles County, Mattoon sustained most of the damage. Dozens of residents became stranded by flood waters as it surrounded a housing development. Thirty to 42 apartments were inundated in the complex. An estimated additional 100 homes and businesses were affected by the flood waters as well. In Shelby County, 70 families were forced from their homes due to flooding, although only minor structural damage was reported…

3. Mar 28, 1998Tornado$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down 1 mile southwest of Mattoon and travelled to the northeast. It damaged 4 homes in the initial touchdown area and then crossed a set of railroad tracks turning over 4 empty 30-ton coal cars. After crossing the railroad tracks, the tornado hit a self-storage facility, where six of the ten buildings in the complex were destroyed. The tin and steel girder buildings were not bolted down to the cement slabs, so they were lifted up, "wadded up" into a big pile, and deposited downstream about 200 yards. Further to the northeast, it damaged or destroyed numerous homes and businesses before lifting. It remained aloft for several blocks, then touched down again,…

4. Apr 3, 2018Flash Flood$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A steady, but moderate to heavy rain, moved into the southern parts of Coles County shortly after 7 am CDT. Thunderstorms caused the rain to intensify between 9:00 and 10:00 am CDT, when nearly 2.00 inches of rain was measured. Total rainfall ranged from 4.00 to 6.00 inches in about a nine hour period. Flash flooding rapidly developed in Mattoon, Charleston and other surrounding areas, where numerous streets were flooded and had to be closed. Illinois Route 16 was closed in several spots as well as parts of I-57 between milepost 184 and 192. Five houses in Mattoon were flooded, resulting in the evacuation of 11 people, where the water was 3 to 5 feet deep, mainly due to the…

5. Feb 1, 2011Winter Storm, Coles$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Weather observers across Coles County measured 1 to 3 inches of sleet along with 2 to 4 inches of snow and around one half an inch of ice. Due to the glaze of ice, numerous tree limbs and power lines were downed, causing power outages across the county. Snow-covered and icy roads resulted in several traffic accidents.

6. Jun 6, 2008Tornado$275,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado formed in an open field 2.5 miles west southwest of Lerna, and was moving to the east northeast around 45 MPH. The tornado damaged a barn and blew down several trees southwest of Lerna. As the tornado moved through Lerna, it caused roof, window and siding damage to 9 homes, and roof damage to a school. Numerous trees were also blown down in Lerna. The tornado continued across open fields and forested areas before it dissipated 2.5 miles east northeast of Lerna. The tornado was rated EF1 with highest estimated winds of 95 MPH.

7. Jun 6, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread tree and power line damage occurred in and around Mattoon. In addition, several buildings in town sustained roof damage, a cinder block wall partly collapsed at a tire dealership, and numerous vehicles were damaged at a car dealership by flying debris.

8. Jan 29, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong thunderstorm winds snapped 64 power poles along Illinois Route 16 near Ashmore. 30 poles were snapped west of Ashmore and 34 east of town. The John Deere Implement Company suffered roof damage to three of its buildings on the southwest side of Ashmore. In addition, three empty grain bins and several outbuildings were damaged north of town.

9. Jun 4, 2008Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous roads were flooded due to heavy rain ranging from 5 to 7 inches across Coles County. Basements flooded in numerous homes throughout the county. On June 5th, a 72 year old male, drown while attempting to cross a bridge flooded by the Kaskaskia River, about 2 miles north of Cooks Mills. Coles County was declared a disaster area as a result of the extensive flooding.

10. Apr 30, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$126,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Coles County causing a lot of damage. Three miles southeast of Lerna a machine shed, a small storage shed, and a grain bin were destroyed. Also, a motor home, several vehicles, and a house roof sustained minor damage. Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down as well. At the same time in the Bushton, Fairgrange, and Charleston areas, several trees were blown down, with one causing minor damage to a building. Also, a barn roof and a grain bin were destroyed. As the storms moved further east, winds blew down numerous trees and tree limbs in the Ashmore area. One tree fell onto a house causing $1,000 in damage and several trees in the…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

110°F2 times, most recently Jul 15, 1936

All-time low

−27°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

83°FAug 19, 1972

Coldest day

−8°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

6.50 inJun 28, 1957

Snowiest day

12.0 inJan 30, 1982

Hottest year

2012mean 58.3°F

Coldest year

1917mean 50.6°F

Wettest year

202059.71 in

Driest year

195325.28 in

Snowiest season

45.1 in1995-96

Station Charleston (USC00111436), 700 ft elevation, 0.9 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1896 to October 27, 2026; 91.8% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Coles County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00111436.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.