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Hail in Pope County, Illinois
34 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 34 hail events in Pope County, Illinois, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 17 years.
April is the busiest month, with 12 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 9 events against 23 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.3% of the 12,331 hail events recorded in Illinois; its 9.2 per 100 square miles compares with 22.2 statewide.
6 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.00 inches (hen egg size).
Compared with Illinois
| Measure | Pope County | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 34 | 12,331 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 9.2 | 22.2 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 90.0 | 9.7 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | April | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
1Mar
2Apr
12May
8Jun
4Jul
2Aug
0Sep
1Oct
0Nov
4Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 34 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2016 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2012 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Nov 2011 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Nov 2011 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Feb 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Sep 2006 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Mar 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Mar 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jul 2004 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 2004 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2003 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1999 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 1998 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Apr 1995 | Hail | 1.75 in | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1989 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 1983 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 May 1958 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Pope County had?
34 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Pope County?
15 Apr 2023 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Pope County?
The hail of 9 Apr 1995, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $3K.
How does Pope County compare with Illinois for hail?
9.2 events per 100 square miles against 22.2 statewide; the county holds 34 of the state's 12,331 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.