How Likely Is a Tornado in Cumberland County, IL?
Cumberland County, IL: what NOAA's tornado record says
Cumberland County has recorded 16 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 4.7 years - our Moderate band. Put another way: Cumberland County sees more tornado activity than 42% of US counties. Among 102 Illinois counties in this dataset, Cumberland County ranks 85 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
14 weak and 2 significant tornadoes make up Cumberland County's 16-track record - none violent. NOAA has never logged an EF4 or EF5 crossing this county.
The dollar figure Cumberland County's rating leads to
Cost nationally: $2,890-$13,280, about $7,645 typical. Illinois has no state rebate program confirmed here; FEMA's underlying 75% cost-share exists nationwide, but applying through a state program is what usually makes it real, and none was found for Illinois this pass.
What a direct hit isn't required for
10,305 people live in Cumberland County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Illinois than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Cumberland County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 346 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Cumberland County has about 10,305 residents.