IL

Storm restoration across Macoupin County

Macoupin County sits in the heart of west-central Illinois's severe weather corridor, recording 55 tornado events since 1950 and experiencing active supercell thunderstorms each spring and early summer. The county is regularly struck by large hail - reports of golf-ball-sized or larger stones are common, and the area carries a hail risk score near 94 out of 100 - along with damaging straight-line winds and derechos; the June 2023 derecho tracked directly through the region with gusts exceeding 80 mph. Flash flooding is a recurring threat along Macoupin Creek and its tributaries, compounded by the county's low-relief terrain and heavy convective rainfall events. Winter brings ice storms and periods of heavy snow capable of collapsing roofs and snapping utility lines, with Carlinville averaging January lows near 17 degrees Fahrenheit and historical cold extremes reaching minus 23 degrees Fahrenheit.