IL

Storm restoration across Boone County

Boone County sits in northern Illinois's active severe weather corridor, making it vulnerable to tornadoes, large hail, derechos, and straight-line wind events across every warm season. The county carries one of the most significant tornado histories in the state, anchored by the April 21, 1967 F4 that struck Belvidere directly, killing 23 people and injuring roughly 450, and the March 31, 2023 EF-1 that collapsed the Apollo Theatre roof in downtown Belvidere, killing one and injuring 40. Hail events reaching golf-ball size are recurring, derechos have driven gusts into the 70-mph range across the county, and the Kishwaukee River through Belvidere produces repeated flash-flood and riverine-flood events, with flood warnings regularly issued for that corridor. Winter brings heavy snowfall and occasional ice storms that down power lines and damage roofs throughout the county.