Illinois Makes the Top 10 for Worst Weather States in America

If you live in Illinois, you already know the weather can change quickly. One day can bring sunshine and comfortable temperatures, while the next can bring severe storms, strong winds, flooding, or snow.

Now, Illinois has landed in the top 10 states with the worst weather in America, according to the Farmers Almanac ranking based on long-term weather and disaster data.

Illinois Ranks No. 9

Illinois comes in at No. 9 on the list.

The ranking considers several types of severe weather, including tornadoes, major storms, flooding, hail, hurricanes, and temperature extremes. It also looks at the number of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters recorded since 1980.

Illinois has experienced 128 billion-dollar disasters since 1980, according to the data used for the ranking.

The state averages roughly 15 to 25 tornadoes each year and also faces flooding, damaging thunderstorms, hail, ice storms, snow, and strong winter winds.

The August 2020 derecho was one of the state's major recent severe-weather events, bringing winds of more than 80 mph, hail, and tornadoes across parts of Illinois.

The Entire Top 10

Illinois isn't the only state dealing with extreme weather. Here's how the complete ranking breaks down:

1. Texas
Texas takes the No. 1 spot, averaging about 155 tornadoes a year and experiencing hurricanes, hail, derechos, wildfires, drought and flooding.

2. Florida
Florida ranks second and has experienced more than 120 documented hurricane landfalls since 1851. The state also faces flooding, severe thunderstorms and extreme heat.

3. Louisiana
Louisiana has experienced repeated hurricanes and major flooding. The state has recorded 10 billion-dollar flood events since 1980.

4. Kansas
Kansas averages about 96 tornadoes each year and regularly experiences large hail and damaging winds.

5. Oklahoma
Oklahoma averages about 68 tornadoes annually and is frequently hit by severe thunderstorms, hail, damaging winds and extreme heat.

6. Colorado
Colorado is known for major hail events, but also faces blizzards, flash flooding and wildfire weather.

7. Missouri
Missouri has recorded thousands of tornadoes since 1950 and also faces major river flooding, severe thunderstorms and winter ice storms.

8. Georgia
Georgia has recorded 134 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters since 1980, along with hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, ice storms and extreme heat.

9. Illinois
Illinois experiences tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flooding, hail, ice storms, snow and powerful winter winds.

10. North Carolina
North Carolina faces hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, tornadoes, ice storms and mountain snow.