State Farm® data shows Illinois' severe weather trend is accelerating

Illinois is experiencing one of the most active spring storm seasons on record, new 2026 data from State Farm shows. After storms that began unseasonably early in March, Illinois is now leading the nation in tornado activity, continuing a concerning trend that is reshaping weather risks across the state.

As of June 19, State Farm Illinois customers have filed nearly 50,000 severe-weather-related claims for home and auto. This puts Illinois on pace for the highest catastrophe claim volume in a decade. Homeowner claims are currently 47 percent above the 10-year average, and State Farm Auto is on track for its second-highest catastrophe claim volume in the past 10 years, with claims 101 percent above the long-term average.

State Farm's claims data reflects a broader pattern documented by experts across Illinois. Through June 25, the NOAA Storm Prediction Center has received 210 preliminary tornado reports across Illinois, driven by widespread outbreaks in March, April and June. One of the largest occurred April 17, when 28 tornadoes were documented across Central Illinois, setting a record for the most tornadoes observed in a single day within the National Weather Service's Lincoln forecast area.

Historical reporting continues to show an upward trend of severe weather in Illinois. The state recorded 121 confirmed tornadoes in 2023, a record-setting 142 in 2024 and another 126 in 2025. Each is well above the state’s long-term average of 54 tornadoes annually.

Wind and hail are driving losses

While tornadoes often dominate headlines, wind and hail frequently cause the most widespread property damage. State Farm's hail claims data shows Illinois' growing exposure over the past four years.

In 2025, Illinois ranked third nationally, with $558 million in hail-related claims paid by State Farm. Only Texas and Missouri recorded higher totals. Across the country, State Farm paid more than $5.6 billion in hail-related claims during the year.

In 2024, Illinois ranked second nationally with more than $899 million in hail-related claims. In 2023, Illinois ranked third nationally with $906 million in hail-related claims. And in 2022, Illinois ranked fourth nationally with $263 million in hail-related claims, demonstrating the state's continued place among the nation's most costly locations for hail damage[1].

The pattern has continued into 2026, with March storms accounting for more than 50,000 State Farm claims across the Midwest. On March 10, severe storms produced exceptionally large hail across northern Illinois, including multiple hailstones measuring 6 inches or larger in Kankakee, Ill, now being considered for a new state record. During this severe weather event, Illinois had one of the highest claim counts.

Public weather records reinforce those trends. Illinois recorded 716 severe wind reports and 216 severe hail reports in 2024[2], followed by another 656 damaging wind reports and 167 severe hail reports in 2025[3]. Long-term National Weather Service records show damaging wind remains the state's most common severe weather hazard.

Illinois' most damaging storms are increasingly becoming multi-peril events, with tornadoes, destructive straight-line winds, large hail and flash flooding occurring during the same weather event.

Supporting Illinois customers through an active storm season

As Illinois experienced multiple rounds of severe weather this spring, State Farm has been actively responding to help customers recover as quickly as possible. Since the beginning of the spring storm season, Catastrophe Claims Teams have been deployed across Illinois and the Central U.S.

With the largest claims force in the industry, State Farm’s catastrophe response is designed to scale as weather events develop. Our claims teams, local agents, on-the-ground mobile support, and digital claims tools enable customers to begin the recovery process in the way that works best for them.

Illinois has experienced several consecutive years of active severe weather, with storms increasingly producing multiple hazards, driving both community impacts and insurance losses.

As severe weather continues to evolve year to year, State Farm uses its data and insights to strengthen catastrophe preparedness and position claims support ahead of major events to help customers when it matters most.

[1] Data in this section is as of July 20, 2026.

[2] Source: https://stateclimatologist.isws.illinois.edu/2025/01/15/2024-weather-was-very-warm-and-wild/

[3] Source: https://stateclimatologist.isws.illinois.edu/2026/01/13/2025-was-warm-and-dry-in-illinois/