IL

Storm restoration across Mason County

Mason County sits in central Illinois along the Illinois and Sangamon rivers, placing it squarely in the path of severe weather systems that track northeast across the state. The county has recorded 41 tornadoes since 1950, including F3 events near Havana in 1968 and 1995 and a notable late-season outbreak in December 2018, with spring months from March through June representing peak tornado risk. Large hail, straight-line winds, and derechos are recurring warm-season threats as supercells and squall lines move across the flat, sandy terrain; hail of half-dollar size has been reported at Sand Ridge State Forest. The Illinois River corridor and low-lying bottomlands along the Sangamon River make portions of the county prone to flash and riverine flooding, while winter storms bringing ice and heavy snow periodically affect all nine municipalities.