Tornado Risk in Chicago, IL
Risk Level: Extreme — Score 9/10
Live Tornado alert status near Chicago
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Live tornado map around Chicago
Shows tornado warnings and events that are active right now, refreshed through the day. When none are active, the map is empty by design.
Key Risk Factors
- FEMA rates Chicago's county as Very High risk for this hazard
- Estimated annual loss of $345M from this hazard type
- 84 tornadoes within 50 km since January 2015 (5 rated EF2 or stronger; 2026 figures provisional)
- 17 tornadoes within 50 km in the 12 months to Sep 30, 2026 (2026 figures provisional)
- Average annual frequency: 1.0 events per year
Peak season: April-June
Last significant event: EF2 tornado on August 11, 2026, closest point 50 km from the city centre (no deaths or injuries recorded)
Highest Risk Cities for Tornados
How Chicago Compares
Strongest Tornadoes Near Chicago
84 tornadoes touched down within 50 km of Chicago between January 2015 and September 30, 2026 (5 rated EF2 or stronger), according to NWS and SPC tornado records. 2026 figures are provisional until SPC publishes its final 2026 tornado file, and September 2026 is preliminary while NWS damage surveys are completed. The 5 strongest are listed below; distances run from the city centre to the closest point of each tornado's path (start to end point).
EF3 tornado, 17.6-mile path, closest point 25 km from the Chicago city centre
June 20, 2021 — EF3
11 injuries
EF2 tornado, 8.3-mile path, closest point 13 km from the Chicago city centre
June 11, 2026 — EF2
6 injuries
EF2 tornado, 34.6-mile path, closest point 41 km from the Chicago city centre
July 15, 2024 — EF2
2 injuries
EF2 tornado, 6.5-mile path, closest point 46 km from the Chicago city centre
June 11, 2026 — EF2
1 injury
EF2 tornado, 26.2-mile path, closest point 49 km from the Chicago city centre
August 11, 2026 — EF2
No deaths or injuries recorded
Tornado Preparedness Tips
- 1.Identify a safe room or storm shelter in your home or building
- 2.Practice tornado drills — get low, cover your head, stay away from windows
- 3.Have a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watch and warning alerts
- 4.Secure outdoor objects that could become projectiles in high winds
- 5.Know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning
Related Pages
How this data is built
Chicago, IL tornado risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live tornado monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.
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The data behind this page
Every score and event here comes from DisasterAWARE's hazard database — available as downloadable historical datasets and a real-time API.
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