Has a hurricane ever hit Illinois?

Not as a hurricane; it would lose tropical characteristics by the time it is that far inland. However, Illinois is affected by the remnants of tropical systems from time to time. For example, in September, 2008, the remnants of Hurricane Ike, which made landfall on the Texas coast, dumped 5 to 7 inches of rain in parts of northern Illinois and Indiana. That caused significant flooding along the DuPage, Des Plaines and Chicago rivers. A state of emergency was declared in Chicago and Cook County because of the flooding.