IL

Storm restoration across Crawford County

Crawford County sits in southeast Illinois within the National Weather Service Lincoln coverage area and has recorded 18 confirmed tornadoes since 1950, including a deadly EF-3 on March 31, 2023 that tracked the full length of the county from Jasper County into Indiana, killing 3 people, and a second tornado outbreak on February 19, 2026 that produced an EF-1 near Flat Rock with 110 mph winds. Large hail is a recurring threat, with reports ranging from golf-ball to baseball size, and straight-line wind events regularly accompany severe thunderstorm lines moving northeast across the county. The Embarras River, which borders and drains much of the county's eastern edge, is a persistent flood risk, reaching well above flood stage during heavy rain events, and the low-lying bottomlands around Hutsonville and Palestine are especially vulnerable. Winter weather brings ice storms and heavy snow that damage roofs, gutters, and tree canopies county-wide, with Robinson recording an all-time low of -23 degrees Fahrenheit in December 1989.