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Hazard Mitigation Plan update · Section 4 draft · prepared October 3, 2026

Saline County, Illinois
Hazard Profiles

Draft. Built from public National Weather Service storm records (NOAA Storm Events, 1980 to June 2026). Not an adopted plan and not reviewed by FEMA.

Saline County's plan, the Saline County 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan, expires October 31, 2026 in FEMA's plan-status data, with no update recorded as in progress on October 3, 2026. This chapter drafts the hazard-profile section of the update from 500 storm reports for the county, every one traceable to a NOAA event ID.

At a glance

6 hazards appear in the federal storm record for Saline County. Winter storms are the most frequent; tornadoes account for the most recorded deaths and damage.

HazardDays with reports, 1996–2025Years with at least oneDeaths*Injuries*Property damage entered*
Thunderstorm wind10128/3001$8.0M
Hail5725/3000$130K
Tornado97/308102$6.9M
Flooding7127/3010$21.6M
Winter storms11229/3015$990K
High wind (no storm)7025/3000$613K

* All years on record (tornado, wind and hail from the 1980s; other hazards from 1996). Dollars are as entered, not adjusted for inflation.

How often, year by year

Days with at least one report, 1996 to 2025. Each panel has its own scale. Hover a bar for the year.

Thunderstorm wind101 days · 28 of 30 years
0481996200520152025
Hail57 days · 25 of 30 years
0361996200520152025
Flooding71 days · 27 of 30 years
0361996200520152025
Tornado9 days · 7 of 30 years
0121996200520152025
Winter storms112 days · 29 of 30 years
0481996200520152025
Show the numbers behind the charts
YearThunderstorm windHailTornadoFloodingWinter stormsHigh wind (no storm)
1996410432
1997210031
1998400230
1999400331
2000410441
2001400221
2002231131
2003220230
2004530540
2005431610
2006850424
2007630142
2008420355
2009320223
2010420382
2011330463
2012631131
2013302350
2014210243
2015410361
2016340262
2017040425
2018531167
2019110256
2020210103
2021000041
2022210072
2023610136
2024342313
2025121244

When in the year

Days with reports by month, 1996 to 2025. Darker means more days.

JFMAMJJASOND
Thunderstorm wind534824161985432
Hail111419144121
Tornado113211
Flooding326101710863114
Winter storms393582424
High wind (no storm)814171021279

Tornado tracks, 1982–2025

14 tornadoes. Lines run from touchdown to lift within the county; dots are tornadoes recorded at a single point. Hover a track for its date and rating.

HarrisburgGalatiaCarriers MillsEldoradoStonefortRaleighMitchellsvilleLedfordFebruary 29, 2012 · EF4 · 8 deaths
F0/EF0F1/EF1F2/EF2F3 or strongerF5Unrated

County outline from the Census Bureau (simplified); community labels sit at the average location of reports naming them.

Hazard profiles

Each profile answers FEMA's questions for hazard identification: what it is, where, how bad (extent), what has happened, and how likely it is to happen again.

Tornado

Description
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground, rated after the fact on the Fujita scale (through January 2007) or the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF0 to EF5, by the damage it leaves.
Location
Countywide; tornado reports name 9 communities, most often Galatia, Stonefort and Harco.
Extent
The strongest on record is the EF4 of February 29, 2012 near Carriers Mills (8 deaths, 95 injuries). Tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger touched down on 5 separate days.
Previous occurrences
14 tornadoes on 11 days from 1982 to 2025. Weather Service survey, May 16, 2025: "An EF-2 tornado (peak of EF-1 in Saline County) began in far southeast Saline County and then tracked eastward, quickly crossing into southern Gallatin County at Forest Road. Tree damage, including an uprooted tree, was observed in Saline County. Estimated peak winds with the …"
Probability
At least one tornado in 7 of 30 years (23%) from 1996 to 2025.
Recorded losses
8 deaths, 102 injuries, $6.9M in property damage as entered by the Weather Service (13 of 14 reports carry a dollar figure).

Severe thunderstorm wind

Description
Straight-line winds from thunderstorms, including downbursts, measured or estimated at 58 mph (50 knots) or more.
Location
Countywide; reports name 19 communities, most often Harrisburg, Galatia and Carriers Mills.
Extent
The highest gust on record is 87 knots (100 mph), estimated near Harrisburg on June 21, 1998. 20 reports reached 65 knots (75 mph) or more.
Previous occurrences
137 reports on 117 days since 1980. June 21, 1998: "A thunderstorm produced wind gusts estimated near 100 MPH in Harrisburg. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped. Some of the trees were up to 5 feet in diameter. Several utility poles were blown over or snapped. A few storage barns and …"
Probability
Reports in 28 of 30 years (93%) from 1996 to 2025; about 3.4 damaging-wind days a year.
Recorded losses
0 deaths, 1 injury, $8.0M in property damage as entered by the Weather Service (94 of 137 reports carry a dollar figure).

Hail

Description
Ice stones from thunderstorm updrafts; reported at 3/4 inch and larger in this record.
Location
Countywide; reports name 13 communities, most often Harrisburg, Carriers Mills and Galatia.
Extent
Largest: 3.5 inches near Galatia on August 6, 2019. 5 reports of 2 inches or more.
Previous occurrences
79 reports on 62 days since 1984.
Probability
Reports in 25 of 30 years (83%) from 1996 to 2025.
Recorded losses
0 deaths, 0 injuries, $130K in property damage as entered by the Weather Service (2 of 79 reports carry a dollar figure).

Flooding (river, flash and heavy rain)

Description
River flooding, and flash flooding when heavy rain overwhelms streets, ditches and small streams.
Location
Countywide; reports name 14 communities, most often Harrisburg, Galatia and Eldorado.
Extent
The deadliest flood on record was May 1, 2017 (1 death). The costliest entry is March 18, 2008, at $16.8M in property damage.
Previous occurrences
78 flood, flash-flood and heavy-rain reports since 1996. July 18, 2025: "Approximately 8-10 of moving water was flowing across IL-145 south of Harrisburg. Radar estimated rainfall reached 1-2 in the area."
Probability
Reports in 27 of 30 years (90%) from 1996 to 2025.
Recorded losses
1 death, 0 injuries, $21.6M in property damage as entered by the Weather Service (21 of 78 reports carry a dollar figure).

Winter storms and ice

Description
Heavy snow, blizzards, ice storms, sleet and lesser winter weather, recorded by forecast zone rather than by point.
Location
Countywide (forecast-zone records).
Extent
Ice storms on 6 occasions. Zone records rarely give snow or ice totals; the full plan adds station data.
Previous occurrences
115 zone events from 1996 to 2026: 68 winter weather, 27 winter storm, 14 heavy snow, 6 ice storm.
Probability
Events in 29 of 30 years (97%) from 1996 to 2025.
Recorded losses
1 death, 5 injuries, $990K in property damage as entered by the Weather Service (5 of 115 reports carry a dollar figure).

High wind (not from thunderstorms)

Description
Strong winds from large storm systems rather than thunderstorms, recorded by forecast zone.
Location
Countywide (forecast-zone records).
Extent
Highest: 52 knots (60 mph).
Previous occurrences
70 zone events since 1996.
Probability
Events in 25 of 30 years (83%) from 1996 to 2025.
Recorded losses
0 deaths, 0 injuries, $613K in property damage as entered by the Weather Service (63 of 70 reports carry a dollar figure).

Not covered by this record

Extreme heat, extreme cold, drought, earthquake and dam failure are not in the storm archive this chapter draws on. The full chapter profiles them from NOAA climate records, the U.S. Drought Monitor, USGS shaking maps and the state dam inventory, and the planning team decides which belong in the plan.

Previous occurrences by community

FEMA asks for hazard history for each participating jurisdiction. These are the communities the Weather Service names most often as the nearest place to a report.

Nearest community named in the reportThunderstorm windHailFloodingTornadoAll
Harrisburg583031119
Galatia13108233
Carriers Mills12143130
Eldorado107522
Stonefort35210
Raleigh5218
Mitchellsville31116
Rudement2125
Ledford2215
Beulah Hgts145
Pankeyville235
Harco1113
Muddy123
Banlick112
Rileyville22
Harrisburg And11
West End To Muddy11
Carrier Mills11

What this draft covers, and what the full update adds

Covered here

  • Type, location and extent of each recorded hazard (FEMA review element B1).
  • Previous occurrences and probability of future events, countywide and by community (element B2).

Added in the full update

  • Vulnerability and impacts on people, buildings and critical facilities from county parcel and building data (element B3).
  • National Flood Insurance Program repetitive-loss properties from FEMA (element B4).
  • Planning-team meetings, public input, capability review, the mitigation strategy and adoption.

Data notes