IL

Storm restoration across Bond County

Bond County sits in south-central Illinois squarely within the tornado corridor that runs from the St. Louis metro region northeast through the state, with 21 documented tornadoes on record since 1912 including F2 and F3 events that caused fatalities and destroyed homes in Greenville. Severe thunderstorms regularly deliver large hail - marble- to golf-ball-size or larger - along fast-moving lines that track northeast at 30-40 mph, striking communities like Old Ripley, Sorento, Pocahontas, and Greenville in quick succession. Straight-line winds from derechos and bow echoes pose an additional threat, as south-central Illinois sits in a favored corridor for long-track derecho events that can produce 60-80 mph gusts across the county's 383 square miles. The county also experiences periodic heavy rain and flash flooding given average May precipitation above 4 inches, and sits in the transition zone where winter storms can deposit significant ice accumulation or heavy snow depending on storm track, with ice events posing serious roof-load and tree-fall damage risks.