Tornado Risk in Effingham County, IL
Effingham County's tornado history, by the numbers
27 tornado tracks have crossed Effingham County since 1959 by NOAA's count, roughly one every 2.8 years - the Elevated band on this site's scale. That is the 64th percentile nationally for tornado frequency. Within Illinois alone, Effingham County ranks 56 of 102 counties for tornado frequency.
The number that matters more than frequency
No violent (EF4-5) tornado has been recorded in Effingham County in NOAA's 76-year database. Of its 27 recorded tracks, 16 were weak (EF0-1) and 8 significant (EF2-3).
Shelter and safe-room economics
Illinois does not currently have a confirmed state rebate layered on top of FEMA's 75% Hazard Mitigation cost-share, so a Effingham County homeowner should expect the full national range: $2,890-$13,280, $7,645 typical.
Power after the storm, not just shelter during it
Power loss after a tornado outbreak in Illinois often reaches homes the storm itself never touched. A battery-backup unit covers the outage without the fuel and venting a generator needs.
What Effingham County's figure does not tell you
Effingham County's figure is county-wide, not address-specific. Effingham County covers about 479 square miles, so a single touch here counts the same as a single touch in a county a fraction of that size. NOAA also documents that older records undercount weaker tornadoes from before Doppler radar became standard. Effingham County has about 34,602 residents.