Ford County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Ford 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. Aug 12, 2021Flash Flood$12.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms producing heavy rain continued to redevelop across southwest Ford County during the late morning and early afternoon producing widespread significant flash flooding in many areas, including in Gibson City. Numerous homes and businesses suffered significant flood damage. Local officials estimated about 800 properties were affected by flooding. Most roads were closed and impassable with several feet of water across some roads. Multiple cars were stalled in flood waters with multiple water rescues. A senior citizen center was inundated with flood waters and multiple water rescues were performed to remove the residents. To the southwest of Gibson City, vegetation was…

2. Jun 21, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous trees up to two feet in diameter, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Gibson City. Some trees and tree limbs fell onto houses. A semi tanker trailer was pushed over on its side. A large grain bin under construction was knocked off its foundation. Damage to the grain bin itself was estimated at $750,000.

3. Jul 12, 2014Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Water 12 to 18 inches deep was reported on most streets and adjacent property across northern portions of Gibson City. Basements were flooded and 18 inches of water flooded the water treatment plant. A storm total of 4.75 inches of rain was measured.

4. Jan 8, 2008Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain which fell onto saturated and frozen ground on January 8th caused widespread and significant flooding across much of Ford County through January 11th. Numerous roads were flooded and closed. Storm total rainfall amounts included 4.14 inches in Piper City and 3.62 inches in Paxton.

5. Feb 4, 2008Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding was reported throughout much of Ford County. Deep and fast flowing water was flowing across many roads. Piper City reported 2.69 inches of rainfall, Paxton reported 2.25 inches and Gibson City reported 2.13 inches.

6. May 7, 2011Hail$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail up to the size of golf balls pounded the city of Roberts damaging numerous cars and roofs.

7. Jul 13, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Widespread damage from the west side of Paxton where small and medium size tree limbs were down to about State Road 115, 4 miles west of Paxton. Numerous large limbs were down, some large trees snapped ot uprooted. Shed roofs and doors were torn off and barns collapsed. A building was damaged at the airport west of town. Damage extended several miles north and south of State Road 9, but the worst damage appeard to be along SR 9 between County Roads 1500 and 1700.

8. May 22, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A semi truck was blown off of Route 47, about four miles south of Sibley.

9. Jun 15, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wind gusts were estimated to 80 mph. Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across all of Paxton. Tin siding was blown off of a building.

10. Nov 17, 2013Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A roof was lifted off a garage causing the collapse of a cinder block building. A chimney was toppled at St Joseph Church. A home TV antenna tower was blown over. There were sporadic uprooted trees and downed limbs throughout town.

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

111°FJul 14, 1936

All-time low

−25°FFeb 13, 1905

Warmest night

81°FAug 4, 1930

Coldest day

−10°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

6.24 inAug 18, 2002

Snowiest day

12.3 inFeb 15, 1908

Hottest year

1921mean 56.0°F

Coldest year

1924mean 49.0°F

Wettest year

200455.68 in

Driest year

198624.28 in

Snowiest season

77.2 in1903-04

Station Hoopeston (USC00114198), 710 ft elevation, 28.3 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1902 to October 26, 2026; 97.8% 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.

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 USC00114198.
• 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.