Clay County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Clay County: 0.
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.

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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. May 26, 2024Tornado$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado originally touched down in Marion County in the National Weather Service Saint Louis County Warning Area (CWA), then crossed into southwestern Clay County just north of the intersection of Beard Road and Songer Township Lane at 7:35 PM CDT. It knocked down several trees and power lines before tracking northeastward and doing its greatest damage at a farm on the north end of Penguin Drive where several large metal buildings were demolished. The tornado then lifted just east of Xenia-Iola Road between Songer Township Lane and Hickory Hill Lane at 7:43 PM CDT.

2. Jun 23, 2013Flash Flood$9.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous thunderstorms produced 3 to 6 inches of rain on already saturated ground in nearly all of Clay County. Major flash flooding was reported in the town of Xenia and the city of Flora, where several people were evacuated from their flooded homes. Several water rescues were made for stranded motorists in and near Flora. In the northwest part of the county from Iola to Hord all roads were closed, including U.S. Highway 45.

3. Apr 15, 1998Tornado$2.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe thunderstorm, which originated in eastern Missouri, travelled to the east across southern Illinois. It produced numerous tornadoes. When it moved into our county warning area, it produced two tornadoes over Clay County. The first tornado touched down 3 miles west southwest of Flora. As it travelled to the northeast it destroyed a set of crossing signals along a set of railroad tracks. It moved parallel to the tracks and on the west edge of Flora it blew 60 to 70 cars of a moving CSX freight train off the tracks. No injuries were reported with the train crew or anyone nearby. At this point the tornado was F2 intensity. Most of the tornado track through Flora stayed south…

4. Feb 1, 2011Ice Storm, Clay$800,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous weather observers across Clay County measured around one half an inch of ice. The heavy glaze of ice downed numerous trees and tree branches, resulting in power outages across the county. In addition, icy road conditions led to several traffic accidents.

5. May 25, 2011Tornado$510,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado developed about 1 mile southwest of Clay City. The tornado tracked northeast and dissipated near Clay City High School. Structures damaged along the path of the tornado included a barn and several garages, and 15 homes sustained minor to moderate roof damage. One concrete block storage building collapsed. Numerous trees were also damaged.

6. May 31, 2018Thunderstorm Wind$175,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees and power lines were blown down around Flora. Some large trees fell onto houses.

7. Aug 24, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$170,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A swath of damaging winds went through the town of Hord. 26 homes received minor damage. 20 outbuildings were damaged and 6 were destroyed. 2 businesses had minor damage. 10 utility poles were destroyed. Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down and several corn fields were flattened.

8. Jul 13, 2016Thunderstorm Wind$110,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several houses sustained wind damage to their roofs near the high school in Louisville.

9. May 9, 2013Lightning$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Ten oil tank batteries were ignited by a lightning strike west of Ingraham.

10. Apr 15, 1998Tornado$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A severe thunderstorm, which originated in eastern Missouri, travelled to the east across southern Illinois. It produced numerous tornadoes. When it moved into our county warning area, it produced two tornadoes over Clay County. The first tornado touched down 3 miles west southwest of Flora. As it travelled to the northeast it destroyed a set of crossing signals along a set of railroad tracks. It moved parallel to the tracks and on the west edge of Flora it blew 60 to 70 cars of a moving CSX freight train off the tracks. No injuries were reported with the train crew or anyone nearby. At this point the tornado was F2 intensity. Most of the tornado track through Flora stayed south…

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

112°F2 times, most recently Jul 15, 1936

All-time low

−25°FFeb 2, 1951

Warmest night

83°FJun 29, 1952

Coldest day

−4°FJan 7, 2014

Wettest day

6.43 inSep 3, 1926

Snowiest day

12.0 inJan 15, 1918

Hottest year

1921mean 60.8°F

Coldest year

1917mean 50.9°F

Wettest year

201166.87 in

Driest year

193625.52 in

Snowiest season

37.0 in1917-18

Station Olney 2S (USC00116446), 459 ft elevation, 22.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1896 to July 7, 2026; 97.3% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USC00116446.
• 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.