CHICAGO — A severe tornado outbreak swept across parts of the Midwest on Thursday, causing widespread damage in Illinois, Indiana and neighboring states, the National Weather Service and local officials said.
Multiple strong tornadoes, including at least two rated EF3, touched down in northern and central Illinois and northwest Indiana during the late afternoon and evening, according to preliminary assessments by the NWS Chicago office. Communities such as Streator and Dwight in Illinois and Kouts in Indiana reported significant structural damage.
The storms downed trees, damaged homes and businesses, and left more than 400,000 customers without power across the region. One fatality was reported in Iowa from related severe weather earlier in the multi-day outbreak, officials said.
The National Weather Service confirmed at least seven tornadoes in its area of responsibility, with preliminary ratings including EF-3 tornadoes in Streator, Illinois, and Kouts, Indiana. Assessments of damage and final ratings remain ongoing.
Emergency crews in affected areas continued search and rescue operations and damage assessments on Friday. In Streator, Illinois, a tornado caused heavy destruction to homes and infrastructure, while parts of neighborhoods in other towns sustained major impacts.
The outbreak was part of a broader severe weather pattern that produced nearly two dozen tornado reports across the central United States in recent days. Strong winds, large hail and flooding also affected parts of Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker activated emergency response resources, with state teams assisting local authorities. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said they were monitoring the situation for potential disaster declarations.
“It was terrifying,” one resident in an affected Illinois community told local media, describing the sound of the approaching storm.
Power restoration efforts were underway, with utilities reporting progress but warning that some outages could last several days. Relief organizations, including storm chaser-led groups, began collecting donations for impacted families.
As of Saturday, cleanup continued in hard-hit areas and the National Weather Service warned of additional severe weather risks in parts of the Midwest. Further surveys of tornado paths and damage are expected to provide more complete assessments in the coming days.
