IL

Storm restoration across Woodford County

Woodford County sits in the heart of central Illinois tornado country, with 52 confirmed tornadoes since 1950 including an F4 near Roanoke in 2004 and two separate EF-3 events (November 2013, February 2017 near Washburn). Derechos are a recurring threat: the July 15, 2024 derecho produced straight-line winds of 85-95 mph near Minonk and spawned four tornadoes across the county in a single event. Large hail and damaging straight-line winds accompany nearly every severe thunderstorm season from April through September, while the Illinois River corridor along the county's western edge creates flash-flooding and river-flooding risk during heavy rain events - a COOP station in Minonk once recorded 9.09 inches of rainfall in 24 hours, approaching the 500-year storm threshold. Winter brings ice storms and blizzard-class snowfall; freezing rain events regularly down tree limbs and power lines across the county.