Severe storms that tore through parts of Illinois and Indiana on Tuesday spawned tornadoes that damaged homes, knocked down trees and power lines, and flooded emergency communications in areas south of Chicago, according to officials. The storms also brought a broader risk of severe weather across the Midwest, with the National Weather Service warning that tornadoes, damaging winds and very large hail were possible.
In northwestern Indiana, Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran posted a video update in front of what appeared to be a destroyed home in the small community of Lake Village. In the video, he urged residents to stay away from affected areas, telling them, “Please do not come here. Do not try to help right now,” while officials assessed damage and crews worked in the aftermath.
Indiana State Police Cpl. Eric Rot said multiple homes in Lake Village were destroyed in an apparent tornado and that people were injured, but he said he was not able to provide an exact number or describe their conditions. The extent of the injuries and the total damage in the community were expected to become clearer as response and verification efforts continued.
In Illinois, a tornado struck down near the Kankakee fairgrounds, about 57 miles (92 kilometers) south of Chicago, before moving northeast into Aroma Park, where it caused extensive damage, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office. Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said in a statement that no injuries had been reported, and he advised residents to check on neighbors and loved ones while avoiding unnecessary travel.
The storm’s impact was not limited to the immediate tornado paths. Officials said the widespread storms overwhelmed a 911 center south of Chicago with emergency calls, and video shared on social media showed a twister ripping across a field of farmland near an airport, with vehicles lined along the road.
Meteorologists said the exact number of tornadoes in northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana would not be confirmed until damage surveys were completed. Andrew Lyons, a meteorologist with the weather service Storm Prediction Center, said the system was “fairly typical” for an early spring strong storm setup and said it was expected to move east across parts of the mid-Atlantic and East Coast on Wednesday, bringing more severe weather.
The National Weather Service said states from Oklahoma to Michigan were under tornado watches, warning of a potential for intense tornadoes as well as damaging winds and large hail. In addition to the localized tornado damage, the broader outlook showed a moderate risk affecting more than 2 million Americans across Illinois and Indiana, and a slightly lesser risk for nearly 22 million people in a wider zone that included Chicago and parts of Texas and Oklahoma, among other areas.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he had been briefed on storm and tornado damage in a post on the social platform X, and he told residents the state would help those affected recover. AP’s reporting also noted that more tornado counts would be determined after officials conducted damage assessments.