of America has been hit by the recession. Plans for a new subdivision have fallen through due to the housing bubble burst. However, as of 2013 it seems the town may be rebounding as small businesses have expressed interest in the village. South Pekin's history can be roughly divided into four time segments: the original C&NW era with growth, the post war period where the town did not grow but held its own, some decline and loss of almost all businesses, including most of the C&NW which is now Union Pacific, and slow growth after 2013. Disasters South Pekin has seen its share of disasters, starting with flooding during the Midwest Flood of 1927. The town's worst disaster was the F3 tornado of March 30, 1938 that destroyed much of South Pekin and killed nine of the village’s residents, it remains the deadliest tornado in Central Illinois 75 years later. National Weather Service research suggests the storm was a super-cell that spawned up to five tornadoes. On May 9, 1995 another tornado rated F1 moved northeast across town, destroying several garages and destroying a railroad barracks. Two injuries and around one million dollars in damage was reported. On May 15, a tornado touched down just south of town that would later hit Tremont. On May 10, 2003, South Pekin was again hit by a tornado. The tornado touched down three miles southwest of town around 9:45 P.M. and crossed Highway 29 into the village at F3 intensity. It went through the village at 9:50 PM and was about a quarter mile wide. There were 23 injuries in South Pekin but no fatalities. The town was rebuilt over the next ten years and constructed a new tornado warning system. Geography According to the 2010 census, South Pekin has a total area of , all land. Demographics As of 2010, there were 1,146 people, 437 households, and 314 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,292 people per square mile (884 people/km). There were 437 housing units at an average density of 874 per square mile (337.5 housing units/km). The racial makeup of the village was 98.17% White, 0.35% Black, 0.17% Native American, 0.09% Asian, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.31%. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 32.3%