IL

Storm restoration across LaSalle County

LaSalle County sits in north-central Illinois squarely within the state's severe weather corridor, where warm Gulf moisture collides with cold continental air during spring and summer to produce tornadoes, large hail, and straight-line winds exceeding 60 mph. The county carries a particularly sharp tornado memory: on April 20, 2004, an F3 tornado carved through the village of Utica, killing eight people and prompting the National Weather Service to transition from county-wide warnings to the polygon-based system used today. The Illinois River valley running through the county creates a recurring flash-flood threat, with low-lying areas near the river and local creeks especially vulnerable during prolonged rain events and the multi-inch deluges that accompany derecho-type storm systems. Winter brings its own hazards in the form of significant snowfall, ice storms, and arctic air outbreaks, with Ottawa recording an all-time low of minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit in January 1985.