Dangerous storms tear through central US with tornadoes and huge hail

CNN

By CNN meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Chris Dolce and Briana Waxman

(CNN) — Dangerous storms with tornadoes and huge hail are tracking across the central US overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. This threat of notably strong tornadoes has prompted the highest severe thunderstorm risk in months to be issued in parts of the Midwest.

It’s all part of a more widespread potential outbreak of powerful storms across the Central US on Tuesday as a new storm system strengthens over the region.

Storms are ongoing from Texas all the way up through the Great Lakes region, leaving over 60,000 customers without power, half of them in Texas. Threats span the entire spectrum of severe hazards: tornadoes, hail up to baseball or even grapefruit size, damaging winds and flash flooding.

A tornado tracked through the Kankakee, Illinois, area Tuesday evening. In response, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office activated its Emergency Operations Center and filed an emergency declaration with Illinois. There were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths, the sheriff’s office said.

“I want to remind area residents to check on their neighbors and loved ones but to avoid unnecessary travel, if at all possible,” Sheriff Mike Downey said.

Kankakee Mayor Christopher W. Curtis told CNN there are no deaths or missing people in the county, though seven individuals sustained minor injuries. Several homes and commercial buildings were damaged, and multiple roads remain closed due to downed trees and power lines.

Earlier Tuesday evening, the same supercell produced a tornado that briefly touched down near Pontiac, Illinois.

This tornadic supercell pushed east for over two hours across multiple locations from central Illinois through Northern Indiana, eventually prompting a Tornado Emergency, the highest level of tornado warning, for Knox, Indiana. It also dropped hail over 5 inches in diameter just south of Kankakee, which could set a new state record for Illinois.

Thunderstorms also impacted Chicago, where half-dollar size hail fell. The Kansas City metro area reported hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter.

Farther south, a tornado was observed near Dudley, Texas, and baseball-sized hail was reported in Buffalo Gap, Texas.

Five tornado watches were in effect for much of Tuesday evening, stretching from the Mexican border north to Michigan.

A Level 4 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms remains in place for more than 2 million people in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, including Peoria and Bloomington, Illinois.

Although last week’s outbreak had multiple deadly tornadoes, this is the first time a forecast for severe storms has been at this high of a level since July 28, 2025.

These severe thunderstorms will track east overnight and spread into more of the Great Lakes, but they will lose some of their punch by the morning.

Powerful storms could still be churning early Wednesday morning from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley but a renewed threat will come in the afternoon.

A widespread Level 2 of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place Wednesday for over 55 million people from Texas and Louisiana to Pennsylvania.

Damaging winds are the main threat with any storm Wednesday. A few tornadoes are possible, especially in the Lower Mississippi Valley and parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

No widespread severe thunderstorms are expected on Thursday.

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