Edgar County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Edgar 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. Feb 1, 2011Winter Storm, Edgar$850,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Weather observers across Edgar County measured 2 to 3 inches of sleet along with 2 to 5 inches of snow and between one quarter and one half an inch of ice. Due to the heavy glaze of ice, numerous tree limbs and power lines were downed, causing widespread power outages across the county. Snow-covered and icy roads resulted in numerous traffic accidents.

2. Jun 4, 2008Flood$700,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread flooding impacted about 200 homes and businesses in Edgar County after 8 to 9 inches of rain fell across the county during three heavy rain events between June 2nd and the 6th. Edgar County was declared a disaster area as result.

3. May 7, 2002Flash Flood$485,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous rural roads were flooded countywide, as well as several basements in the Paris area. Also, a 76 foot bridge south of Paris collapsed due to the flooding. No injuries were reported.

4. Apr 14, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A barn and grain bin were destroyed and a machine shed was damaged. A tractor and new combine sustained damage. Two horses were injured, and one had to be put down.

5. Apr 26, 2016Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms along a nearly stationary front produced periods of heavy rain of 3.00 to 5.00 inches during a three hour period during the mid-afternoon of April 26th in central and eastern Edgar County, including the city of Paris. Many roads along and five north of U.S. Route 150 were closed between Paris and the Illinois/Indiana state line, where the water was up to three feet deep. A basement wall in a Paris home collapsed due to the water. The flooding rapidly subsided by the evening.

6. May 10, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread wind damage occurred across Paris. Numerous trees were blown down or uprooted, including one that crushed a truck. Power lines were blown down and minor roof and siding damage took place as well.

7. Apr 27, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several trees and powerlines were blown down. Some of the fallen trees caused minor damage to a couple of homes. A large farm shed was destroyed on the south edge of town.

8. Apr 19, 2011Tornado$140,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down 1.7 miles northeast of Chrisman at 659 PM CST. It traveled northeastward, tearing the roof off a house, destroying two pole barns, and damaging a garage. The tornado dissipated 2.8 miles northeast of Chrisman at 701 PM CST.

9. Jun 19, 2021Thunderstorm Wind$110,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Multiple tree branches greater than 12 inches in diameter were blown down throughout Chrisman. Some of the falling branches caused structural damage to homes.

10. Jul 21, 2008Tornado$85,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An EF1 tornado touched down 7.2 miles WSW of Chrisman then travelled east-southeast for 2 miles across rural Edgar County. The tornado damaged two homes and several outbuildings and destroyed an old barn.

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

109°F2 times, most recently Jul 14, 1954

All-time low

−23°FJan 18, 1930

Warmest night

81°F4 times, most recently Aug 29, 1948

Coldest day

−8°FJan 7, 2014

Wettest day

10.20 inJun 28, 1957

Snowiest day

14.0 inDec 19, 1973

Hottest year

1946mean 57.1°F

Coldest year

2014mean 49.3°F

Wettest year

195761.09 in

Driest year

190323.55 in

Snowiest season

71.5 in1977-78

Station Paris Stp (USC00116610), 649 ft elevation, 2.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 26, 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 USC00116610.
• 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.