IL

Storm restoration across St. Clair County

St. Clair County sits in the Metro East region directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis and lies within the most tornado-active corridor in Illinois, a band running from Madison and St. Clair counties northeastward toward Cook County. The county has recorded over 51 tornado events through modern records, including a catastrophic F4 in 1896 that killed 118 people in East St. Louis and an EF-2 in 2009 that cut a 12.8-mile path through the county; derecho-producing bow echoes and straight-line winds exceeding 100 mph (documented May 2013) are a recurring warm-season threat alongside large hail events that routinely damage vehicles, roofs, and siding across the county. The Kaskaskia River watershed runs through the county's eastern and southern reaches, making low-lying areas prone to flash and river flooding after heavy rain; the Mississippi River floodplain along the county's western edge amplifies this risk and has contributed to multiple federally declared disaster events. Winter storms bring ice accumulation and heavy snow that cause significant structural and tree damage, with ice storms historically the costlier winter event type in this part of southwestern Illinois.