Midwest Tornadoes Strike Chicago
Tornadoes Touch Down Near Chicago, Causing Widespread Midwest Damage
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At least three tornadoes touched down in communities outside Chicago on June 11, 2026, leveling homes and snapping trees and power poles across the suburbs, Associated Press reported. The twisters were the second blow in two days — a powerful derecho had already knocked out power for 264,000 Illinois customers the night before.
One person died in Des Moines, Iowa — a 54-year-old man struck by a falling tree — making it the storm system's only confirmed fatality, according to Associated Press. More than 243,000 Illinois customers and 140,000 Michigan customers were still without power as the storms moved east into the Northeast, Lancaster Online reported.
Tornadoes Hit Streator and Indiana Suburbs Hard
Tornadoes were confirmed in Streator, Illinois, and in Merrillville and St. John, Indiana, according to CBS News. In Streator, storm chaser Scott Lasker helped pull a man from the rubble of a collapsed building. Mayor Tara Bedei confirmed a tornado "tore through the city" but said there were no reported fatalities as of Thursday evening.
The National Weather Service briefly considered issuing a "rare tornado emergency" for areas near LaSalle County, CBS News reported. A tornado warning was issued at 7:20 p.m. for Will County, IL, and Lake County, IN, as a confirmed twister moved through St. John at 25 mph. The City of Streator opened a family reunification center at City Hall for displaced residents.
Derecho on June 10 Set the Stage for Chaos
The trouble started June 10, when a derecho — a long line of fast-moving, destructive winds — swept from eastern Iowa through northern Illinois into Indiana. Chicago Midway Airport recorded a gust of 72.5 mph, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Mason City, Illinois, saw gusts hit 75 mph. The city received over 5,272 tree emergency requests in a single day, WTTW News reported.
By late night on June 10, more than 1,000 flights had been delayed or canceled at O'Hare and Midway airports combined. O'Hare alone logged 704 delays and 283 cancellations by Thursday afternoon, Patch reported. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged residents on social media to "ensure you have access to a safe place to take shelter" and to check on neighbors.
NWS Issued Its First Moderate Risk Warning in Two Years
On the morning of June 11, the National Weather Service upgraded the Chicago region to a Level 4 Moderate Risk for severe storms — the first such rating since July 15, 2024, according to CBS News Chicago. That 2024 outbreak produced a record 32 tornado touchdowns in the Chicago area. NWS meteorologist Frank Pereira pointed to a clash of "cool air from Canada with warm, humid air from the South" as the driver.
By 1:55 p.m. on June 11, a Tornado Watch covered more than 50 counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, Post Register reported. The Storm Prediction Center rates a Moderate Risk only about once every two years for this region, making the June 11 outbreak unusually dangerous. NWS data shows 11 major thunderstorm events already by late April 2026 — far above the average of four.
Power Outages May Last Through the Weekend Amid Heat
ComEd warned that 80% of power outages would likely not be restored until Saturday night, June 13, Dayton Daily News reported. That timeline is alarming because forecasters predicted a heat wave would follow the storms. Families in Streator and rural Missouri lost their homes entirely, adding a housing crisis on top of the power emergency.
The American Red Cross began deploying relief teams on June 11 as more storms were forecast to follow, News-Gazette reported. South Side Chicago residents expressed frustration online that repair crews had not reached their neighborhoods while suburban areas got faster attention. Climate researchers also warned that tornado activity is shifting further east and south, putting communities at higher risk that have historically seen few storms.
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