How Likely Is a Tornado in DeKalb County, IL?
How likely is a tornado in DeKalb County, IL?
DeKalb County has recorded 30 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 2.5 years - our Elevated band. Put another way: DeKalb County sees more tornado activity than 69% of US counties. Among 102 Illinois counties in this dataset, DeKalb County ranks 49 for how often a tornado touches down.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
1 tornado touching DeKalb County reached violent (EF4-5) strength since 1950. That single fact carries more weight for the shelter decision than the county's overall frequency band.
The dollar figure DeKalb 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
101,335 people live in DeKalb 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 DeKalb County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 631 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. DeKalb County has about 101,335 residents.