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Hail in Wayne County, Illinois
72 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 72 hail events in Wayne County, Illinois, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 30 years.
May is the busiest month, with 21 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 28 events against 41 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.6% of the 12,331 hail events recorded in Illinois; its 10.1 per 100 square miles compares with 22.2 statewide.
12 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with Illinois
| Measure | Wayne County | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 72 | 12,331 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 10.1 | 22.2 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 45.1 | 9.7 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
2Mar
6Apr
20May
21Jun
10Jul
4Aug
6Sep
0Oct
1Nov
1Dec
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 72 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Apr 2024 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Aug 2019 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2019 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2018 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Aug 2017 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2016 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2016 | Hail | 1.50 in | $30K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 May 2016 | Hail | 1.75 in | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 2016 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2015 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2014 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2012 | Hail | 1.10 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 May 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 2011 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Feb 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2010 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2009 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Mar 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jun 2008 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Jun 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 16 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Mar 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jun 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Apr 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Jul 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2004 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2003 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2003 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 May 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2003 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Jun 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2002 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 2001 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Aug 2001 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 May 2000 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2000 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 May 1999 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Jun 1998 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 1998 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 1996 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 May 1996 | Hail | 2.75 in | $700K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1996 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1996 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Jul 1995 | Hail | 0.75 in | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Oct 1993 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 1985 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 1979 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 1955 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Wayne County had?
72 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 Wayne County?
2 Apr 2024 (Hail, 1.50 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Wayne County?
The hail of 3 May 1996, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $700K.
How does Wayne County compare with Illinois for hail?
10.1 events per 100 square miles against 22.2 statewide; the county holds 72 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.