IL

Storm restoration across Stark County

Stark County sits in central Illinois within the NWS Lincoln (ILX) forecast zone, a region the National Weather Service identifies as part of the nation's primary belt for severe freezing rain and ice storms. Fifteen tornadoes struck the county between 1950 and 2025, including an F3 that hit Wyoming in May 1961 and an F1 in July 1972 that tracked 33 miles from near Toulon to Princeton; more recent events trend EF0-EF1. Large hail is a recurring threat - 2.00-inch hail struck Toulon in April 2026 - and the county sits in the corridor regularly hit by derechos and straight-line winds, as demonstrated when the July 2024 derecho downed trees and power poles in Wyoming and produced measured gusts of 105 mph near the Stark-Marshall County line. Winter weather is the region's most damaging hazard by total dollar impact, with central Illinois experiencing frequent heavy snow, ice storms, and blizzard conditions that isolate rural townships and strip trees and power infrastructure across the county.