Severe Weather System Spawns Tornadoes, Record Hail Across Central U.S.

A multi-day severe weather system impacted a broad region from Texas to the Great Lakes this week, spawning numerous tornadoes, producing record-breaking hail, and causing widespread damage.

The storms resulted in fatalities, injuries, significant property destruction, and power outages, with recovery efforts now underway in the hardest-hit communities.

Weather Alerts and Forecast

From Tuesday through Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a series of severe weather alerts for millions of people across the central United States. Tornado watches were in effect for areas from Texas and Oklahoma to Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. A "moderate" risk of severe weather was declared for parts of northern Illinois and Indiana.

Meteorologists from the NWS Storm Prediction Center described the event as a typical strong early spring storm system. The parent thunderstorm responsible for tornadoes in northern Illinois and Indiana persisted for over seven hours, covering a path of approximately 200 miles.

The system was projected to continue moving eastward, bringing threats of damaging winds and tornadoes to the mid-Atlantic and East Coast by Wednesday.

Impacted Areas and Damage

Illinois:

In Kankakee County, a confirmed EF-3 tornado with winds up to 115 miles per hour tracked nearly 40 miles, touching down near the Kankakee fairgrounds and moving northeast into Aroma Park. Officials reported nine minor injuries and no fatalities in the county.
Significant damage was reported in Aroma Park, including a leveled two-story barn, a destroyed concrete silo, downed trees, and damaged homes. Kankakee Community College and Bishop McNamara Catholic School sustained extensive damage and were closed.
In Stephenson County, a tornado was reported in the village of Lena, damaging a high school and an elementary school while students were inside. No serious injuries were reported.
Pontiac, Illinois, was also affected by the storm system.

Indiana:

In Lake Village, Newton County, a tornado resulted in two fatalities—an elderly couple in their home. Officials reported fewer than 10 serious injuries in the area.
Significant damage was reported in Lake Village, including destroyed homes, a damaged Family Dollar store and gas station, and approximately 70 downed utility poles. Search and rescue operations were conducted.
The towns of Wheatfield and Knox were also impacted.

Wisconsin and Texas:

In central Wisconsin, a reported tornado moved through Kronenwetter and Ringle, damaging homes.
In Taylor County, central Texas, a separate tornado was reported on Tuesday, accompanied by wind gusts up to 60 mph and "baseball-sized" hail.

Record Hail and Flooding

The storms produced exceptionally large hail, particularly in Kankakee, Illinois. The NWS reported hail ranging from 3 to 5 inches in diameter, with a six-inch hailstone reported that is being assessed as a potential state record for Illinois.

Golf-ball to baseball-sized hail was also reported in Chicago's western suburbs, causing significant vehicle and property damage.

Heavy rainfall of 1 to 3 inches led to flooding concerns. A Flash Flood Warning was issued for Boone, Lake, and McHenry counties in Illinois, and a Flood Warning was in effect for areas along the Fox River. Water levels on the Des Plaines and Fox rivers were reported as high.

Infrastructure and Utility Impact

The storms caused widespread power outages and transportation disruptions.

ComEd reported approximately 27,000 customers impacted in Illinois, with power restored to all but about 4,000 as of Wednesday, primarily in Kankakee County. Full restoration there may take several days.
In Indiana, NIPSCO reported over 2,500 customers initially affected, with approximately 4,300 customers in the Lake Village area experiencing outages at the storm's peak.
A ground stop was temporarily in effect at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport due to the storms.
Numerous roads were rendered impassable due to debris and downed trees and power lines.

Emergency Response and Recovery

Emergency services in Illinois and Indiana conducted primary search and rescue operations following the storms. No individuals have been reported missing.

The American Red Cross established shelters for impacted residents at North Newton High School in Indiana and Kankakee Community College in Illinois. Local community groups and businesses mobilized to provide hot meals, clothing, and supplies to residents and first responders.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated his administration is providing support to local officials, and Kankakee County filed an emergency declaration with the state. Indiana officials requested that the public avoid affected areas to facilitate recovery efforts.

The National Weather Service indicated that survey teams would assess damage in affected areas over the weekend to determine the final number and strength of tornadoes.