Gallatin County

Every recorded tornado

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

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 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.

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.

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. Apr 19, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A large swath of very damaging straight-line winds, associated with a bow echo on radar, affected north and east Gallatin County. The damage swath was mostly over sparsely populated farm country, except where it struck New Haven. Winds were estimated around 90 mph over much of the area. Some barns were destroyed or damaged, including partial loss of roofs and walls. Grain storage equipment was damaged, including upending and destruction of several grain bins. One grain bin was blown into vehicles and onto a house, damaging the house roof. Some metal storage sheds were damaged or destroyed. Many large trees were uprooted, and a number of large tree trunks were snapped. There was…

2. Mar 18, 2008Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Much of the flooding was due to a combination of backwater from the Ohio River and tremendous runoff from inland areas. The emergency management director reported that flooding in Old Shawneetown was the worst since 1964. All but the eastern part of town was flooded. About 20 families evacuated flooded parts of the county. Near Ridgway, firefighters rescued three children who were boating in floodwaters. The boat was taking on water, and the children were bailing water. Sandbagging was done to protect property in Equality and Junction. The Saline River was the primary cause of flooding there. A State of Emergency was declared for the county. Old Shaweetown was closed to all…

3. Feb 29, 2012Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed into Gallatin County from Saline County in the vicinity of Illinois Highway 142. The tornado moved east-northeast through very sparsely populated farm country before striking Ridgway directly. In Ridgway, the tornado damaged about 140 homes and businesses, causing one critical injury and about a dozen relatively minor injuries. Numerous cars were tossed around, mainly on the east side of Ridgway. A large historic church was completely destroyed. Hundreds of large trees were snapped or uprooted, along with many power lines down. A half dozen grain bins were destroyed. The tornado lifted about 4 miles east-northeast of Ridgway. The average path width was 275…

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Gallatin$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Frequent wind gusts from 60 to nearly 70 mph caused considerable damage in southern Illinois. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale and St. Louis on its way toward the northeastern states. The rapid speed of the low pressure system contributed to this high wind event.||Considerable tree damage occurred. Trees were uprooted, and very large limbs were broken. Some trees fell on homes, outbuildings, and vehicles. Fewer than a dozen homes in each county were damaged by falling trees. Others fell on commercial and public buildings. Numerous trees or limbs fell on…

5. Feb 11, 2008Winter Storm, Gallatin$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Low pressure developed over the southern Plains, spreading widespread heavy precipitation across southern Illinois. At the same time, high pressure over the upper Ohio Valley produced a cold easterly wind flow. The result was a crippling ice storm. Around one inch of ice caused extensive damage across far southern Illinois, along and south of a line from Carbondale and Marion to Harrisburg and Carmi. Many of those same areas received three to six inches of sleet and snow. The most destructive icing occurred in an east to west band across Union, Johnson, Massac, and Pope Counties. The state designated most counties in southern Illinois as a disaster area. Numerous trees and power…

6. May 1, 2011Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flooding continued on the Ohio River from April. At the Shawneetown river gage, the flood crest of 56.37 feet on the afternoon of May 6 was about two feet higher than the 1997 flood. This was still over nine feet lower than the record crest set in 1937. Sandbagging operations and some evacuations were conducted in Old Shawneetown, Equality, Junction, and New Haven. These communities are all affected by the Ohio River or its backwater coming up the Saline River. In Equality, floodwaters were four feet high in a church. At least several homes were inundated. In Junction, water was three to four feet deep in one house. About a dozen other homes in Junction were under one to…

7. May 25, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A microburst with estimated peak winds near 90 mph struck the south side of Equality and continued northeast to the intersection of Highways 13 and 1. The path width averaged about one-half mile. Two mobile homes were destroyed and a barn was levelled on the south side of Equality. A section of metal roof about 250 feet long was blown off the county high school near the intersection of Illinois Routes 13 and 1. Several other homes sustained mainly minor roof damage. Trees and tree limbs were blown down throughout the area.

8. Mar 1, 2018Flood$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Moderate flooding continued on the Ohio River from late February. At the Shawneetown river gage, the river crested at 52.10 feet on March 4. Flood stage there is 33 feet. This flood crest was within a couple of inches of the January, 2005 flood. Isolated evacuations of some lowland residents were conducted. The community of Old Shawneetown was threatened, resulting in sandbagging and levee patrols. Very little if any structural flooding was reported in Old Shawneetown. A tributary of the Ohio River, the Saline River, experienced major backwater flooding extending across Gallatin County to Saline County. Isolated homes were accessible only by boat in areas around Junction,…

9. Jan 5, 2005Flood, Gallatin$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Moderate to major flooding of the Ohio River and some of its tributaries occurred. A state disaster declaration included Massac, Pope, Hardin, and Gallatin Counties. Floodfighting activities included the construction of temporary sandbag levees. Isolated evacuations of some lowland residents were conducted. In the city of Metropolis in Massac County, several streets were closed, a few residences were evacuated, and a casino riverboat was closed for several days. The closure of the casino had a major impact on the local economy. Flooding of the casino's parking lot and entrance prompted the closure. There was very little property damage to the casino itself. In Gallatin County, the…

10. May 23, 2011Tornado$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several homes and buildings sustained minor to moderate damage in the Junction and Shawneetown areas. Several barns or sheds were destroyed, and many dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped. Several trained spotters reported seeing a funnel cloud in the Shawneetown area. Peak winds were estimated near 105 mph. The average path width was 150 yards.

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°FJul 24, 1901

All-time low

−21°FJan 7, 1912

Warmest night

83°FJul 24, 1901

Coldest day

−7°FFeb 9, 1899

Wettest day

7.40 inApr 29, 1996

Snowiest day

14.0 inJan 12, 1912

Hottest year

1921mean 61.2°F

Coldest year

1958mean 53.8°F

Wettest year

195765.27 in

Driest year

196324.82 in

Snowiest season

50.3 in1911-12

Station Mount Vernon (USC00126001), 357 ft elevation, 21.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 86.8% 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 USC00126001.
• 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.