Kankakee County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Kankakee County: 3.
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.

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 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 30, 2008Hail$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail to the size of tennis balls was reported covering the ground near Main Street and Route 50. School roofs were damaged including heating and cooling units. Two school greenhouses were also damaged. Windows were also broken on some houses and businesses.

2. Feb 20, 2018Flood$1.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous roads in Kankakee County were flooded and several roads were closed. Storm total rainfall amounts included 5.73 inches in St. Anne and 3.39 inches in Kankakee. Approximately 110 homes throughout the county were affected by flood waters.

3. Jun 5, 2010Tornado$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado began 3 miles northwest of St. Anne in Kankakee county. The tornado developed just west of 6000E Road and tracked to the east, where it produced damage to a home and a garage along the road. At this location, a single family home collapsed upon itself, leaving it inhabitable. The garage sustained damage to its roof and exterior walls. The tornado was rated EF2 with winds estimated at around 113 mph.||The tornado continued to move to the east northeast, where it increased in intensity as it encountered yet another family home at the intersection of Route 1 and 4000S Road. This home and the garage/barn next to it sustained considerable damage, leaving the home…

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

   After flash flooding during the morning hours of January 8th, flooding continued until January 11th. Significant flooding occurred in Aroma Park. As the rain ran off into streams and creeks, rivers overflowed their banks causing additional flooding. Numerous roads were closed and flooded. Storm total rainfall amounts included 2.78 inches in Kankakee, 2.75 inches in St. Anne and 2.61 inches in Bourbonnais.

5. Aug 23, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several houses received minor wind damage with five homes suffering significant damage. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Three people suffered minor injuries from flying debris. One man was injured when part of a roof landed on his vehicle.

6. Jun 5, 2010Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A brief tornado developed about 5 miles southwest of Kankakee, or 3 miles south of Limestone, in southern Kankakee County. This brief tornado caused damage to a farm just north of the intersection of 5000W Road and 3000S Road. Several trees were uprooted or snapped. A machine shed on the property was destroyed, along with farm equipment and vehicles. A quonset building was damaged, and a fence was blown over. The tornado was rated EF1 with winds estimated at around 100 mph.

7. Jun 30, 2014Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This strong tornado touched down slightly north of the intersection between E. 10500N Rd and N. 14000E Rd. The tornado torqued a house on its foundation beyond repair and damaged a small church. There were also numerous barns and outbuildings destroyed and severe damage to several large trees. The tornado dissipated near N. 17500E Rd. Maximum winds were estimated to 115 mph.

8. Jul 16, 2009Lightning$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lightning struck a new auto body repair building on Grinnell Road and started a fire. The building along with 3 vehicles was completely destroyed.

9. May 25, 2011Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tree damage was observed at multiple locations along the path of this tornado including snapped hardwood trees. Additional damage included snapped utility poles, roof and shingle damage to homes, overturned campers, and an attached garage removed from a home that was under construction. Two people reported watching this tornado as it just missed their property. Two buildings, built from concrete blocks, were destroyed near 11580E and 7000S. At 4702S and 14000E, storage sheds were destroyed and a metal grain bin was blown over. Shingles were also blown off the roof of a house.

10. May 29, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Trees were blown down on Cobb Street. A 12 to 16 inch diameter tree was uprooted and fell onto a car. The driver was not injured. Three large trees were blown down on Main Street near the hospital, along with many large tree limbs. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down across much of the city of Kankakee. A large tree was uprooted and fell onto a house on Nelson Avenue causing severe damage to the first and second floors of the house. Several large tree limbs were blown onto a house on South Seventh Avenue.

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

107°FAug 17, 1988

All-time low

−29°FJan 20, 1985

Warmest night

79°FJul 22, 2011

Coldest day

−10°F2 times, most recently Jan 31, 2019

Wettest day

5.85 inJun 17, 2012

Snowiest day

13.0 in2 times, most recently Feb 16, 2021

Hottest year

2005mean 54.9°F

Coldest year

2014mean 47.5°F

Wettest year

199052.69 in

Driest year

201225.28 in

Snowiest season

55.2 in1981-82

Station Kankakee Wwtp (USC00114603), 600 ft elevation, 2.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1973 to October 27, 2026; 95.1% 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 USC00114603.
• 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.