Tornado Chaos Hits Illinois and Indiana

A powerful storm swept through the Chicago region, sparking at least 17 tornadoes across Illinois and Indiana. The National Weather Service confirmed the latest twisters on Sunday, adding six new storms to those already documented from Thursday’s intense weather front. One of the newer tornadoes struck Hickory Hills, earning an EF‑2 rating for its strong winds; most others were classified as EF‑0. In the weeks before, four more tornadoes had been identified in Indiana alone. These touched down near Cedar Lake, between Schneider and Hebron, at Ludlow, and in Boswell. Earlier, Illinois had seen three tornadoes: one near Bartlett, another in Streator, and a long‑track storm from Graymont to Dwight. Indiana’s earlier incidents included Merrillville, St. John, Kouts, and Wenona.The storms caused widespread damage but, fortunately, no serious injuries or deaths were reported. Many buildings suffered structural harm, and more than 7, 000 ComEd customers remained without power as of Sunday evening. The Bartlett tornado was rated EF‑1, with winds up to 110 mph, while the Streator and Kouts tornadoes were both rated EF‑3, boasting winds up to 165 mph. Officials continue to assess the full extent of damage and may increase the final tornado count. Survey teams are already on the ground, inspecting areas in Hickory Hills, Bridgeview, Chicago’s South Side, and regions south of the Kankakee River to determine exact impacts.