Potomac, IL Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Potomac is lower than Illinois average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Potomac is lower than Illinois average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #1140
| Potomac, IL | 0.02 |
| Illinois | 0.24 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Potomac, IL | 0.0000 |
| Illinois | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #1060
| Potomac, IL | 197.76 |
| Illinois | 220.15 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 2,502 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Potomac, IL were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 3 | Cold: | 12 | Dense Fog: | 4 | Drought: | 1 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 432 | Hail: | 603 | Heat: | 12 | Heavy Snow: | 37 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 16 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 38 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,222 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 60 | Winter Weather: | 11 |
| Other: | 51 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Potomac, IL.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Potomac, IL.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Potomac, IL.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 78 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Potomac, IL.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 4.5 | 1975-11-10 | 2 | 40°22'N / 87°50'W | 0.10 Mile | 3 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vermilion | |
| 6.8 | 1953-04-09 | 3 | 40°14'N / 87°53'W | 40°15'N / 87°31'W | 19.20 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 5 | 25.0M | 0 | Vermilion |
| 9.7 | 1962-07-02 | 2 | 40°11'N / 87°59'W | 40°13'N / 87°51'W | 6.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Champaign |
| 10.3 | 1976-03-20 | 4 | 40°07'N / 87°57'W | 40°12'N / 87°41'W | 14.90 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Vermilion |
| 10.9 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 40°15'N / 87°38'W | 40°21'N / 87°33'W | 7.80 Miles | 177 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Vermilion |
| 12.0 | 1961-07-21 | 2 | 40°16'N / 87°37'W | 40°16'N / 87°32'W | 3.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Vermilion |
| 12.6 | 1973-08-14 | 2 | 40°28'N / 87°41'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Vermilion | |||
| 14.9 | 1996-04-19 | 3 | 40°07'N / 87°57'W | 40°08'N / 87°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 1500 Yards | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | Champaign |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down half a mile to the southwest of Ogden and travelled to the northeast right through the middle of the town. The tornado destroyed 68 homes, 12 businesses, 3 churches, the library, and a grade school. Once east of town, the tornado crossed I-74, where it killed a woman who was riding in a semi with her husband. The semi and trailer were picked up and rolled into a field. The woman, who had been in the sleeper portion, was thrown about 30 yards from the truck. She was killed instantly. After rolling the semi, the tornado damaged 2 more homes before lifting and dissipating 1 mile north northeast of Ogden. Back in Ogden the damage was variable. One house would have significant damage, when a nearby structure would only have minor damage. In addition to the destroyed homes and businesses, 128 homes and 8 businesses sustained major damage and 51 homes and 12 businesses had minor damage. With it's larger width, it appears that this tornado had multiple circulations within the parent tornado. Overall, one woman was killed and thirteen people were injured. No damage estimate was available yet. F55VE | |||||||||||
| 14.9 | 1953-04-09 | 3 | 40°11'N / 88°13'W | 40°14'N / 87°53'W | 17.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25.0M | 0 | Champaign |
| 15.8 | 1974-04-12 | 2 | 40°06'N / 88°06'W | 40°16'N / 88°00'W | 12.50 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Champaign |
| 18.1 | 1987-06-02 | 2 | 40°07'N / 88°02'W | 0.10 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Champaign | |
| 18.5 | 1976-04-23 | 2 | 40°34'N / 87°53'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iroquois | |||
| 21.1 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 39°57'N / 88°04'W | 40°07'N / 87°53'W | 14.90 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Champaign |
| 23.7 | 1976-04-23 | 2 | 40°36'N / 88°02'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iroquois | |||
| 24.1 | 1980-06-02 | 2 | 40°08'N / 87°24'W | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Fountain | |||
| 24.1 | 1968-05-15 | 3 | 40°37'N / 87°42'W | 40°39'N / 87°34'W | 7.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Iroquois |
| 24.4 | 1956-03-06 | 2 | 40°34'N / 87°29'W | 0.40 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Benton | |
| 26.1 | 1967-01-24 | 2 | 40°05'N / 88°19'W | 40°09'N / 88°08'W | 10.40 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Champaign |
| 26.5 | 1975-05-24 | 2 | 40°41'N / 87°42'W | 0.10 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iroquois | |
| 26.8 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 40°17'N / 87°29'W | 40°33'N / 87°08'W | 25.90 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Warren |
| 27.0 | 1956-03-06 | 3 | 40°38'N / 88°00'W | 40°44'N / 87°52'W | 9.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Iroquois |
| 27.3 | 1996-04-19 | 3 | 40°04'N / 88°15'W | 40°05'N / 88°11'W | 4.00 Miles | 220 Yards | 0 | 12 | 9.0M | 0 | Champaign |
| Brief Description: A tornado briefly touched down 1 mile north of Savoy (near Rt. 45 and Curtis Road) and destroyed 3 homes under construction. Then the tornado lifted, travelled to the northeast, and touched down again 1 mile south of Urbana. The tornado destroyed 30 homes, caused moderate damage to 29 homes and one business, and minor damage to 54 homes and 4 businesses. Twelve people were injured and damage was estimated between $7 and $11 million. | |||||||||||
| 28.9 | 1961-03-06 | 2 | 39°53'N / 88°07'W | 39°55'N / 87°44'W | 20.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Champaign |
| 28.9 | 1973-08-12 | 2 | 39°54'N / 87°40'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Vermilion | |||
| 29.0 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 39°59'N / 88°14'W | 40°02'N / 88°08'W | 5.90 Miles | 70 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Champaign |
| 29.0 | 1960-05-19 | 2 | 40°16'N / 87°15'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Delaware | |||
| 29.2 | 1976-03-20 | 4 | 39°55'N / 88°27'W | 40°07'N / 87°57'W | 29.70 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 11 | 2.5M | 0 | Champaign |
| 29.9 | 1991-08-08 | 2 | 40°30'N / 87°19'W | 40°29'N / 87°15'W | 5.00 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Benton |
| 30.6 | 1956-05-21 | 2 | 40°43'N / 88°01'W | 2.00 Miles | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iroquois | |
| 31.2 | 1980-06-07 | 2 | 40°39'N / 88°14'W | 40°37'N / 88°11'W | 3.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ford |
| 32.5 | 1991-08-08 | 2 | 40°29'N / 87°15'W | 40°27'N / 87°11'W | 4.00 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Warren |
| 32.9 | 1960-06-23 | 2 | 39°59'N / 88°16'W | 39°57'N / 88°12'W | 3.80 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Champaign |
| 32.9 | 1954-05-31 | 2 | 40°40'N / 88°06'W | 40°53'N / 87°44'W | 24.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Iroquois |
| 33.1 | 1960-06-05 | 2 | 40°21'N / 88°31'W | 40°19'N / 88°20'W | 9.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mclean |
| 33.6 | 1965-09-14 | 2 | 40°28'N / 88°28'W | 40°28'N / 88°20'W | 6.60 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Ford |
| 34.1 | 1973-03-31 | 2 | 40°47'N / 87°58'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Iroquois | |||
| 35.0 | 1963-04-22 | 3 | 39°58'N / 88°28'W | 40°00'N / 88°09'W | 16.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Champaign |
| 35.2 | 1963-04-22 | 3 | 39°48'N / 87°55'W | 39°48'N / 87°32'W | 20.20 Miles | 1600 Yards | 0 | 20 | 25K | 0 | Edgar |
| 36.2 | 1982-08-24 | 2 | 40°33'N / 88°28'W | 40°33'N / 88°21'W | 5.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ford |
| 36.5 | 1953-04-09 | 3 | 40°15'N / 87°31'W | 40°16'N / 86°42'W | 42.90 Miles | 750 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren |
| 36.6 | 1990-06-20 | 2 | 39°53'N / 88°14'W | 39°52'N / 88°10'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Douglas |
| 36.8 | 1965-09-14 | 2 | 40°49'N / 88°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Iroquois | |
| 36.9 | 1990-06-20 | 2 | 39°55'N / 88°16'W | 39°53'N / 88°14'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Champaign |
| 37.2 | 1962-04-30 | 2 | 40°47'N / 87°28'W | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Newton | |||
| 38.0 | 1963-04-22 | 3 | 39°48'N / 87°32'W | 39°48'N / 87°30'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Vermillion | ||
| 38.2 | 1960-06-05 | 2 | 40°03'N / 88°28'W | 39°57'N / 88°20'W | 9.70 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Champaign |
| 38.3 | 1963-04-22 | 3 | 39°48'N / 88°16'W | 39°48'N / 87°55'W | 18.40 Miles | 1600 Yards | 0 | 20 | 25K | 0 | Douglas |
| 38.5 | 1961-03-06 | 2 | 39°48'N / 88°17'W | 39°53'N / 88°07'W | 10.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Douglas |
| 38.6 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 40°30'N / 87°08'W | 40°32'N / 87°06'W | 1.30 Miles | 333 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250.0M | 0 | Benton |
| 38.9 | 1954-06-01 | 2 | 40°42'N / 87°16'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Benton | |||
| 39.4 | 1965-09-14 | 2 | 40°28'N / 88°34'W | 40°28'N / 88°28'W | 4.90 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mclean |
| 39.8 | 1974-06-06 | 2 | 39°50'N / 88°17'W | 39°52'N / 88°14'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Douglas |
| 40.5 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 39°46'N / 87°31'W | 39°48'N / 87°23'W | 6.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vermillion |
| 40.6 | 1992-06-17 | 2 | 40°53'N / 87°57'W | 0.10 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Iroquois | |
| 40.7 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 39°42'N / 87°43'W | 39°46'N / 87°31'W | 11.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Edgar |
| 41.4 | 1963-04-22 | 2 | 40°23'N / 87°01'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Tippecanoe | |
| 42.4 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 39°43'N / 87°31'W | 39°46'N / 87°27'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Vermillion |
| 42.7 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 40°31'N / 88°37'W | 40°34'N / 88°29'W | 7.40 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mclean |
| 42.8 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 39°43'N / 87°35'W | 39°43'N / 87°31'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Edgar |
| 43.4 | 1980-06-01 | 2 | 39°48'N / 88°17'W | 1.00 Mile | 3 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Douglas | |
| 44.5 | 2001-10-24 | 2 | 40°02'N / 88°35'W | 40°03'N / 88°33'W | 1.80 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.2M | 0 | Piatt |
| Brief Description: An eyewitness reported that the tornado touched down on the southwest side of Monticello and traveled to the north northeast across town. It blew down numerous trees near the golf course then destroyed a storage building. In this area the tornado intensified to F2 Intensity (wind speeds of 120 to 130 mph) taking the roof of a church completely off and blew it into the roof of a nearby 2 story apartment building. The apartment building suffered severe damage and has been deemed uninhabitable. A farm implement building/business, which was close to 200 feet in length, had roughly three quarters of the building destroyed. Damage for this building was estimated at nearly $2 million, as several combines inside were severely damaged or destroyed. Debris from the building was thrown into a nearby power substation, causing a complete power outage to the town of 5,000 residents as well as neighboring communities. The tornado appeared to have lifted off the ground and stayed at tree top level for the remainder of its life through the town producing F0 damage. Numerous trees had the tops broken off and several large trees were uprooted. Once outside of town it did touch down briefly once more, damaging the roof of one home and destroying several outbuildings and a garage of another homestead about a mile north northeast of town. In this location, several 2 inch by 6 inch pieces of lumber from one of the machine sheds had shot through patio doors into the home. No injuries were reported due to the tornado. Damage is estimated around $2.2 million. | |||||||||||
| 45.1 | 1950-03-27 | 2 | 40°34'N / 88°36'W | 40°36'N / 88°33'W | 3.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Mclean |
| 45.1 | 1978-06-25 | 2 | 40°46'N / 88°34'W | 40°46'N / 88°15'W | 16.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Livingston |
| 45.7 | 1965-09-14 | 2 | 40°21'N / 86°57'W | 40°23'N / 86°55'W | 1.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Tippecanoe |
| 46.2 | 1987-07-06 | 2 | 40°55'N / 87°26'W | 0.90 Mile | 250 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Newton | |
| 47.1 | 1968-05-15 | 2 | 40°29'N / 86°56'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Tippecanoe | |||
| 47.1 | 1956-04-03 | 2 | 40°55'N / 88°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ford | |
| 47.3 | 1959-05-11 | 2 | 40°00'N / 88°36'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Piatt | |
| 47.6 | 1990-06-22 | 2 | 41°00'N / 87°55'W | 40°59'N / 87°53'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Iroquois |
| 48.3 | 1980-06-07 | 2 | 40°52'N / 88°46'W | 40°39'N / 88°14'W | 31.50 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Livingston |
| 48.7 | 1982-08-24 | 2 | 40°31'N / 88°53'W | 40°33'N / 88°28'W | 18.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mclean |
| 48.9 | 1990-06-22 | 2 | 41°01'N / 87°56'W | 41°00'N / 87°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Kankakee |
| 48.9 | 1986-09-29 | 2 | 40°42'N / 88°35'W | 40°45'N / 88°31'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Livingston |
| 48.9 | 1956-04-03 | 2 | 40°06'N / 88°47'W | 40°08'N / 88°36'W | 9.50 Miles | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | De Witt |
| 49.1 | 1969-09-04 | 2 | 41°01'N / 87°45'W | 2.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Kankakee | |
| 49.1 | 1963-04-22 | 3 | 39°57'N / 88°45'W | 39°58'N / 88°28'W | 15.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Macon |
| 49.4 | 1988-10-17 | 2 | 39°38'N / 87°30'W | 39°38'N / 87°28'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Vermillion |
| 49.8 | 1976-03-20 | 4 | 40°28'N / 87°00'W | 40°34'N / 86°47'W | 13.10 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Tippecanoe |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.