IL

Storm restoration across Cass County

Cass County sits in central Illinois along the Illinois River and carries a well-documented severe weather record spanning 75 years. The county has recorded 18 tornadoes since 1950, including an EF2 in December 2021 and a destructive F1 in April 1999 near Ashland that killed one person and caused an estimated $1.75 million in damage. Hail and straight-line wind events from thunderstorm complexes and derechos are a recurring warm-season hazard, with winds capable of exceeding 70 mph. Beardstown and the Illinois River corridor face serious flood exposure: the river crested at a record 29.81 feet in April 2013, and high-water events have been documented at Beardstown continuously since 1844. Winter brings compounding risk from heavy snow and freezing rain; Beardstown recorded 9.0 inches of snow in a single January 2025 storm, and central Illinois is recognized by the National Weather Service as one of the nation's primary zones for severe ice storms.