Chicago Tornadoes
Chicago tornadoes: 1967 Belvidere/Oak Lawn F4, 1990 Plainfield F5, 2015 Rochelle-Fairdale, and more Illinois metro history.
Notable Chicago Metro Events
1967 April 21 Belvidere/Oak Lawn F4 - 58 killed across Illinois
1990 August 28 Plainfield F5 - 29 killed, first Doppler-detected F5
2015 April 9 Rochelle-Fairdale EF4 - 2 killed, chaser-documented
Multiple smaller events across the metro annually
Why Chicago Metro?
Ohio Valley outbreak corridor
Cold fronts frequently traverse Illinois
Gulf moisture reaches the state during peak season
Historical outbreak positioning
Regional Chicago Metro Risk
Western suburbs - higher tornado density
Southern suburbs - Plainfield 1990 event
Northern Illinois - Rochelle-Fairdale corridor
Downtown - very rare direct tornadoes
Living in Chicago Metro
NOAA weather radio recommended
Basement standard tornado shelter (common in Illinois)
Family plan and drill
Understand outbreak potential during April-June
Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →Try the interactive simulator
Place an EF0–EF5 tornado anywhere in the world and see modeled fatalities, structural damage, and economic loss based on real census data.
Launch simulator →