Macoupin County

Every recorded tornado

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

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 24, 2002Hail$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Amateur radio spotters reported hail up to 2 inches in diameter in the Gillespie and Bunker Hill areas. Initial reports from local insurance companies indicate at least $2 million in damages to automobiles and roofs.

2. May 1, 2002Hail$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The County Sheriff and amateur radio spotters reported golfball size hail at several locations in southern Macoupin County. Officials in Mt. Olive reported roofs damaged, home siding dented, broken windows and dented vehicles.

3. Dec 1, 2006Winter Storm, Macoupin$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major winter storm hit Western and Southern Illinois from November 30 through December 1, 2006. Up to a foot of snow fell across West Central Illinois while up to an inch of ice and sleet accumulated across Southwest Illinois, including the St. Louis area. Up to 300,000 customers lost electric service across Southwest and Southern Illinois due to downed power lines. In some areas it took a week to get the power restored. Many rural schools were closed for several days due to slick roads and power outages. Numerous buildings and automobiles were damaged by fallings trees and tree limbs. Damages will likely approach $100 million. Following is a short summary of how the storm…

4. Apr 24, 2002Hail$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail up to golfball size was reported by local law enforcement and amateur radio spotters. The Macoupin County Emergency Management Agency reported approximately 400 vehicles damaged by the hail across the county.

5. May 25, 1996Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down north of Carlinville and caused damage to 6 farms in an 8 mile path. A couple a barns were destroyed, as were several maching sheds and other outbuildings. A garage was also destroyed at one home. Trees and power lines were also downed. Damage was estimated at $250,000.

6. May 12, 2000Hail$160,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm spotters reported 1 inch hail across a large part of southwest Macoupin County. Numerous cars and some roofs were damaged.

7. May 12, 2000Hail$160,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm spotters reported 1 inch hail across a large part of southwest Macoupin County. Numerous cars and some roofs were damaged.

8. May 12, 2000Hail$160,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Storm spotters reported 1 inch hail across a large part of southwest Macoupin County. Numerous cars and some roofs were damaged.

9. May 12, 2000Hail$160,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Amateur radio spotters reported hail up to 2 inches in diameter at Woodburn and north of Bunker Hill. Numerous vehicles and some roofs of homes were damaged.

10. May 12, 2000Hail$160,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Amateur radio spotters reported hail up to 2 inches in diameter at Woodburn and north of Bunker Hill. Numerous vehicles and some roofs of homes were damaged.

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

114°FJul 14, 1954

All-time low

−22°FFeb 14, 1905

Warmest night

85°F2 times, most recently Jul 28, 1993

Coldest day

−7°FFeb 11, 1899

Wettest day

6.53 inOct 18, 1905

Snowiest day

14.3 inMar 25, 2013

Hottest year

2016mean 58.0°F

Coldest year

1917mean 51.3°F

Wettest year

198260.49 in

Driest year

191425.59 in

Snowiest season

58.0 in1911-12

Station Hillsboro (USC00114108), 630 ft elevation, 20.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1895 to October 26, 2026; 87.1% 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 USC00114108.
• 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.