IL

Storm restoration across Bureau County

Bureau County sits in north-central Illinois within a region that experiences tornado frequency comparable to the southern Great Plains, with documented touchdowns ranging from brief EF-0 events to a historical F4 and a confirmed EF-1 near Princeton in July 2009 producing 80-95 mph straight-line winds alongside the tornado. Hail events are common during the April-through-June severe weather peak, with golf-ball-sized hail (1.75 inches) recorded in Buda as recently as April 2026 and a line-embedded EF-1 tornado confirmed near Arlington in the same outbreak. The Illinois River corridor through eastern Bureau County, particularly around DePue and Spring Valley, carries chronic annual flood risk, with flash flooding capable of inundating hundreds of homes rapidly - a May 2020 event dropped 3 inches of rain on DePue in 50 minutes and affected 180 homes. Winter brings significant hazard as well, with Illinois averaging five severe winter storms annually statewide, and Bureau County exposed to ice storms and blizzard-level conditions that compound roof and structure damage from snow loading and ice accumulation.