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NOAA/NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER REPORTS + U.S. CENSUS DATA

Hail, Wind & Tornado Reports in and near Benton, IL

Public hail, wind, and tornado reports in and near Benton, IL from May 10, 1962 through May 16, 2026, sourced from NOAA/NWS Local Storm Reports and SPC storm report data.

Example: 62812 — search hail, wind and tornado public reports for any U.S. ZIP code 
Hail Reports
11
Wind Reports
38
Tornado Reports
2
Max Hail Size
3.00″
Source  NOAA SPC · NWS Local Storm Reports Coverage  Benton, IL · 1962–present Updated  Daily · last May 16, 2026

Latest NWS Hail Reports in and near Benton, IL

11 reports
Free hail report for your home →
1.75″ hail
Jul 3, 2023
12:13 AM UTC
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: Corrects previous hail report from 2 SSE Benton.
NWS Hail Report Location: 3 S Benton, IL
1.75″ hail
Jul 1, 2023
12:13 AM UTC
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: 2 SSE Benton, IL
1.00″ hail
Mar 12, 2020
6:40 PM UTC
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: .
NWS Hail Report Location: 2 NNW Benton, IL
3.00″ hail
Mar 11, 2017
3:15 AM UTC
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: 3 INCH DIAMETER HAIL REPORTED.
NWS Hail Report Location: 1 N Benton, IL
1.00″ hail
Jul 1, 2012
3:59 PM CST-6
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: N Benton, IL
0.75″ hail
Mar 2, 2012
11:42 AM CST-6
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: .69 N Benton, IL
1.00″ hail
Apr 22, 2008
10:22 AM CST-6
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: Quarter-size hail was reported near the 68 mile marker on Interstate 57.
NWS Hail Report Location: 3 S Benton, IL
0.75″ hail
Apr 2, 2006
5:27 PM CST
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Benton, IL
1.00″ hail
Jun 22, 1998
8:20 PM CST
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Benton, IL
0.75″ hail
Jul 31, 1967
3:30 PM CST
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IL
0.75″ hail
May 26, 1962
1:30 PM CST
Hail report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Hail Report Description: No National Weather Service description provided.
NWS Hail Report Location: Not provided, IL
Showing 11 of 11
Hail Damage Risk for Your Home +

Hail reports describe hail by diameter, often comparing stone size to familiar objects like peas, quarters, golf balls, and softballs. Use this guide as a starting point for possible hail damage to your roof, siding, gutters, vents, windows, and exterior. Actual hail damage depends on hail hardness, density, wind speed, impact angle, roof age, shingle condition, roof pitch, roofing material, installation quality, and prior storm damage.

Pea
0.25″
Low

Usually too small to cause hail damage to most sound asphalt roofs, siding, or gutters.

Mothball
0.50″
Sub-Severe Watch

Below the NWS severe-hail threshold, but not always harmless. Repeated small hail can scuff surfaces, wear aging shingles, and loosen protective granules over time.

Penny
0.75″
Minor / Watch

Below the NWS severe-hail threshold, but roof hail damage is still possible on older, brittle, poorly installed, or previously damaged shingles. May also mark screens, vents, gutters, and soft metal.

Nickel
0.88″
Minor / Watch

Still below the severe-hail threshold, but large enough to leave visible marks on soft metal and add wear to older or hail-weakened roof shingles.

Quarter
1.00″
Watch

The NWS severe-hail threshold. Quarter-size hail can bruise shingles, dent soft metal, and create roof hail damage worth checking.

Half Dollar
1.25″
Watch

More likely to dent gutters, vents, flashing, and siding. Hail damage risk rises quickly on older roofs or hail-weakened shingles.

Ping Pong / Walnut
1.50″
Likely

Hail damage becomes more likely, including bruised shingles, granule loss, dented siding, and damaged roof vents.

Golf Ball
1.75″
Likely

Often causes roof hail damage, cracked shingles, dented gutters, damaged flashing, and siding impacts. A roof inspection is recommended.

Hen Egg
2.00″
Serious

Can crack or puncture shingles, expose mat, dent siding, and cause widespread hail damage across the roof and exterior.

Tennis Ball
2.50″
Serious

Can cause heavy roof hail damage, punctured siding, broken skylights, damaged vents, and widespread exterior damage.

Baseball
2.75″
Major

Major hail damage is likely, including severe roof impacts, damaged siding, broken windows, and possible major roof repairs.

Tea Cup / Large Apple
3.00″
Major

Can cause heavy hail damage across the roof, siding, gutters, windows, and exterior. Significant repairs are often needed.

Softball
4.00″
Extreme

Destructive hail damage. Can severely damage roofing materials, siding, windows, gutters, vents, vehicles, and exterior surfaces.

Grapefruit
4.50″
Extreme

Catastrophic hail damage risk for roofs, windows, vehicles, siding, gutters, and exterior surfaces.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service hail size references are used for hail-size comparisons and the 1.00″ severe-hail threshold. Damage descriptions are general homeowner guidance, not official NOAA/NWS damage ratings. Sub-severe hail under 1.00″ is below the severe threshold, but that does not mean “no roof damage.” Penny- to nickel-size hail can still contribute to granule loss, cosmetic surface marks, and added wear, especially on older, brittle, poorly installed, or previously damaged roofs.

Latest NWS Wind Reports in and near Benton, IL

30 reports
Free hail report + wind check →
UNK mph
May 16, 2026
7:15 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: Several reports of dime to nickel sized hail and large branches down in the Benton vicinity.
NWS Wind Report Location: Benton, IL
UNK mph
Sep 14, 2025
9:35 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: A couple of trees were blown down in the South Marcum Campground on Rend Lake.
NWS Wind Report Location: 3 NNW Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 30, 2024
5:10 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: Trees down along with some power lines in Benton. Time estimated from radar.
NWS Wind Report Location: 1 SSW Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 12, 2024
12:14 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: Power lines and trees down on E Bond St between N McLeansboro St and 9th St.
NWS Wind Report Location: 1 E Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 12, 2024
12:14 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: Trees and power lines down with power pole damage at N Madison St in Benton.
NWS Wind Report Location: Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 29, 2023
10:45 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: Trees down countywide... including West Frankfort... Buckner... and Benton. Tree down on van and camper in Thompsonville.
NWS Wind Report Location: Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 1, 2023
10:36 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: Trees down county wide.
NWS Wind Report Location: 1 S Benton, IL
UNK mph
Apr 16, 2023
1:48 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: TREE FELL ONTO A POWER LINE NEAR BENTON. RELAYED BY WSIL TV.
NWS Wind Report Location: Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 17, 2021
2:50 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: ONE TREE DOWN AND SEVERAL TREE LIMBS DOWN AT A FARM NORTH OF BENTON. ROOF TINE BENT BACK ON BARN. A 65 MPH WIND GUST WAS RECORDED ON THE HOME WEATHER STATION AT 950 PM CDT. REPORT RELAYED BY WSIL-TV. LATE REPORT.
NWS Wind Report Location: 1 N Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 16, 2021
6:10 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: ONE TREE DOWNED JUST EAST OF BENTON. TREE FELL ONTO A TRAILER. NO INJURIES. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
NWS Wind Report Location: 1 E Benton, IL
UNK mph
Mar 12, 2020
6:49 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: A POLE BARN WAS DESTROYED ON INDUSTRIAL ROAD IN THE CITY.
NWS Wind Report Location: 1 SSW Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jun 29, 2018
12:05 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES. UP TO 2 FOOT DIAMETER TREE BRANCHES DOWN ON NORTH SIDE OF TOWN. STREET FLOODING OCCURRING.
NWS Wind Report Location: Benton, IL
UNK mph
Mar 11, 2017
11:27 AM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: MICROBURST. WINDS ESTMATED AROUND 100 MPH. OUTBUILDING COMPLETELY DESTROYED. HARDWOOD TREES SNAPPED.
NWS Wind Report Location: 7 WSW Benton, IL
UNK mph
Jul 13, 2016
9:49 PM UTC
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: SEVERAL TREES DOWN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. LARGE BRANCHES WERE ALSO SNAPPED.
NWS Wind Report Location: Benton, IL
60 mph
Jun 21, 2015
4:02 PM CST-6
Wind report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Wind Report Description: A large tree was blown down. with isolated power outages reported.
NWS Wind Report Location: N Benton, IL
Showing 15 of 30
Wind Damage Risk for Your Home +

Storm reports list thunderstorm wind gusts in mph. The NWS marks storms as severe at 58+ mph, but wind damage to your home depends on roof age, shingle condition, installation, exposure, nearby trees, and prior hail or wind damage.

Below Severe
Under 58 mph
Minor

Usually little damage to a sound roof, but loose shingles, flashing, or debris may shift.

Severe
58–74 mph
Watch

Can loosen shingles, lift flashing, break limbs, and damage gutters, siding, fences, or trim.

Damaging
75–90 mph
Serious

Can peel shingles, damage vents, tear siding, rip gutters, and expose weak roof areas.

Extreme
90+ mph
Major

Can cause major roof covering loss, tree damage, broken windows, and structural damage.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service storm reports. Gusts may be measured or estimated; actual wind damage varies by roof condition, exposure, and prior hail or wind damage.

Latest NWS Tornado Reports in and near Benton, IL

2 reports
UNK category
May 10, 2016
8:20 PM UTC
Tornado report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR MILE MARKER 40 ON THE PURCHASE PARKWAY.
NWS Tornado Report Location: 2 WSW Benton, IL
EF1 category
Apr 19, 2011
7:49 PM CST-6
Tornado report for Benton, IL
Franklin County · 14,478 Homes in County
Tornado Report Description: Extremely large oak trees were snapped 30 feet off the ground and thrown several yards and left intertwined. Other large trees were uprooted, and a fence was damaged. Peak winds in this brief tornado were estimated near 105 mph.
NWS Tornado Report Location: .2 N Benton, IL
Showing 2 of 2
Tornado Damage Risk for Your Home +

After a tornado, the National Weather Service assigns an EF rating from EF0 to EF5 based on surveyed damage. The rating estimates wind speed from what the tornado damaged, so actual damage can vary by construction quality, roof age, garage doors, windows, trees, debris, and how close the home was to the tornado path.

EF0
65–85 mph
Light

Can peel shingles, damage gutters or siding, break tree limbs, and toss loose outdoor items.

EF1
86–110 mph
Moderate

Can strip roof covering, damage exterior doors, break windows, snap trees, and cause heavier siding or gutter damage.

EF2
111–135 mph
Serious

Can tear off large sections of roofing, break or uproot trees, destroy weaker structures, and cause major exterior damage.

EF3–EF5
136+ mph
Severe

Can remove roofs and walls, destroy large portions of homes, toss vehicles, and cause severe to total destruction near the path.

Source: NOAA / National Weather Service. EF ratings are assigned after a post-storm damage survey and are based on observed damage, not a direct measurement at every home.

NWS Hail, Wind and Tornado Reports in and near Benton, IL on the Interactive Map

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Browse ZIP Codes with NWS Storm Reports in Benton

62812 85
Benton, IL Hail, wind & tornado reports
62897 11
Benton, IL Hail, wind & tornado reports

NWS Storm Reports & Census Data

U.S. Census Data · City

Benton, IL area census snapshot

People & households
Population7,076
Households3,013
Housing units3,488
Income
Median household income$51,349
$100k+ households25.1%
$150k+ households12.1%
Housing stock
Single-family detached2,609
Attached single-family84
Small multifamily542
Large multifamily126
Mobile homes127
Housing mix
Single-family share74.8%
Attached-home share2.4%
Multifamily share19.2%
Mobile-home share3.6%
Ownership & occupancy
Owner-occupied1,895
Renter-occupied1,118
Vacant units475
Home value & age
Median home value$85,100
Owner homes $300k+2.4%
Owner homes $500k+1.7%
Owner homes $750k+0.8%
Median year built1958
Older-home share81.7%
Vehicle context
Households with cars2,815
Free hail maps

This snapshot is for local area context only and describes the selected state, county, city, or ZIP area — not a specific home or property. For ZIP-level estimated hail impact, use Free Hail Maps to generate a hail report with key impact details for that ZIP.

Frequently asked questions

for homeowners, buyers & sellers
How many hail, wind, and tornado reports does Benton have on record?

Our records show 11 hail, 38 wind, and 2 tornado reports in and near Benton, IL, compiled from NOAA SPC and NWS Local Storm Reports. The most recent was reported on May 16, 2026.

What is the largest hail ever reported in Benton?

The largest hail size in these storm-report records in and near Benton, IL is 3.00″. It was reported near Benton, IL on March 11, 2017.

A storm report showed up near my home in Benton — does that mean my roof is damaged?

Not necessarily. A storm report only means hail, wind, or a tornado was observed nearby; it does not confirm damage at any specific address, and conditions change from block to block. Check an address-level hail report first, and if it looks significant, find a local pro that serves Benton and ask about a Remote Hail Inspection before anyone climbs on the roof.

I am buying a home in Benton — why should I look at its storm history?

Recent hail or wind can leave a roof or exterior with damage that is easy to miss during a walkthrough, and a recent roof replacement is sometimes an insurance job after a storm. Reviewing the storm history for a Benton address before closing helps you ask informed questions about roof age, past repairs, and any prior claims.

I am selling a home in Benton — how does this help me?

Knowing the storm history for your address lets you answer buyer questions with confidence, document repairs you have already made, and decide whether a pre-listing roof check is worthwhile. A clear hail history removes a common sticking point during negotiations.

How do I check hail history for a specific Benton address?

Use the address search to pull a free address-level hail report for any property in Benton — no phone number or email required. It shows recent hail activity for that address so you know whether a closer roof or exterior review makes sense.

Where does this storm report data come from, and what are its limits?

Storm reports on this page are public reports from storm events across Benton, IL, sourced from NOAA SPC and NWS Local Storm Reports. They show where hail, wind, or tornado activity was reported in Benton, but they do not confirm damage at any specific property. Report locations, sizes, and times may be approximate and can vary from what an individual home experienced. For property-specific hail history, use an address-level hail report or contact a participating local professional for a remote hail inspection. Pros inclusion is not an endorsement, and contacting a professional does not confirm damage at any property.

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