Deadly Tornadoes Strike Illinois and Indiana

More than 77 million people from the Midwest to the southern Plains were under some form of tornado alert Wednesday after multiple apparent twisters tore through Illinois and Indiana, causing widespread damage and at least two deaths.

Northern Illinois faced the highest risk, with a moderate tornado threat covering roughly 2 million residents south and east of Chicago, including Joliet, Peoria and Bloomington. A broader marginal risk extended as far south as Texas and Tennessee.

A tornado emergency — the most serious type of warning — was declared Tuesday in Knox, Indiana. The National Weather Service warned residents that it was a life-threatening situation and urged immediate shelter. The parent storm system that generated tornadoes across northern Illinois and northern Indiana persisted for more than seven hours along a 200-mile path.

Officials reported eight tornado sightings between Illinois and Indiana on Tuesday, along with two in Texas. An elderly couple in Lake Village, Indiana, was killed during the storms, and several others were hospitalized with injuries. Authorities said home damage in some areas was severe, though most injuries were reported as minor.

Strong winds, heavy rain and hail the size of golf balls pounded parts of the Chicago region. Flood warnings were issued along rivers in Illinois and Indiana, while tornado watches stretched across much of Indiana, northern Kentucky and western Ohio, including Indianapolis, Evansville, Louisville and Cincinnati. In total, approximately 67 million people faced the threat of severe storms from northern Pennsylvania to the Gulf Coast.

Power outages mounted across the region, with more than 12,000 customers in the Midwest and 23,000 in the Great Lakes area without electricity Wednesday morning.

Emergency crews in Kankakee County, Illinois, declared a local state of emergency as search-and-rescue and damage assessments continued. In Lake Village, Indiana, officials described a “direct hit” that destroyed multiple homes. Displaced residents were being sheltered in local schools.

Forecasters called the outbreak the most widespread and impactful severe weather event of the year so far, fueled by strong upper-level winds, Gulf moisture and sharp temperature contrasts. Meanwhile, parts of the Northeast saw record warmth, with New York City’s Central Park hitting 80 degrees Tuesday, rapidly melting lingering snow from a recent blizzard.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, nbcnews.com