Midwest tornado – A severe thunderstorm outbreak is underway across the Midwest Wednesday evening, with destructive tornadoes reported in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin and baseball-sized hail observed on radar. More storms are expected tonight, including tornadoes that
Wednesday night didn’t start with a warning—it started with damage.
A severe thunderstorm outbreak is in progress across the Midwest, and tornadoes have already torn through parts of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. On radar, baseball-sized hail has been observed as the storms continue to produce destructive conditions.
Officials have been dealing with the aftermath as new threats build. In the Indiana town of Stinesville. a potent tornado caused a structure’s roof to collapse. and emergency officials are working to rescue people inside. Town Board President Scott McGlocklin said. In Illinois, a destructive tornado also tore through Effingham County, damaging structures and lofting debris for over 20 miles.
The night is not expected to bring relief. More tornadoes are expected tonight, with some potentially intense and long-lived. Widespread damaging wind gusts and large hail are also on the table.
The storm system driving the threat is unusually strong for June, and it lands on a region that has struggled to catch a meaningful break this month. A multi-day siege of storms last week produced more than 1,500 reports of wind, hail, and tornadoes across the central United States.
Before the evening tornadoes, the day brought its own kind of danger. The storms started earlier in the day when powerful wind gusts rolled through Iowa and northern Illinois Wednesday morning. Near Albion, Iowa—about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines—a hurricane-force wind gust of 94 mph was recorded.
In Monmouth. Illinois. a BNSF freight train derailed near the city Wednesday morning as the severe thunderstorms tracked through the area. Monmouth Chief of Police Joe Switzer said the derailment appeared to be caused by powerful straight line winds. and he also said the cause is still under investigation. Switzer reported that there were no injuries or spills. though the storms damaged some buildings and downed trees and power lines in Monmouth.
By early Wednesday afternoon, the morning storms lost most of their punch and were mainly a flood threat over Illinois and Indiana—before a new round began firing up soon after. Through the early evening, the threat centered from Missouri to Indiana.
A Level 4 out of 5 risk of severe thunderstorms is in place for parts of Illinois and Indiana. including Indianapolis. while the rest of the area is mostly under a Level 3 of 5 risk. Supercell thunderstorms are expected to charge through these areas. Supercells are more likely to produce tornadoes than other types of thunderstorms. though twisters are still possible in other storms across the Midwest and into parts of the Plains.
The tornadoes forming in the higher risk area could become intense—EF3 strength or greater—and might also travel long distances, like the tornado that ripped through Effingham County, Illinois, for over 20 miles.
As the afternoon threat evolves, the system also widens. The severe thunderstorm threat will expand in scope as a cold front kicks off more storms stretching back into parts of Missouri and eastern Kansas.
Later Wednesday night. damaging wind gusts potentially topping 75 mph are expected to take over as the main threat. with individual storms expected to merge into cohesive lines from eastern Kansas first and eventually expand to western Ohio. Storms will persist for a time overnight, generally tracking southeast. Any remaining threats will clear out of the Midwest Thursday and shift into the East.
Midwest tornado outbreak EF3 tornado severe thunderstorms damaging wind gusts baseball-sized hail Stinesville Indiana Effingham County Illinois Stinesville roof collapse Monmouth BNSF freight train derailment June storm system
Baseball hail?? dang
So it didn’t start with a warning, but they say it’s “expected tonight” like normal? My cousin in Indiana said they barely got time to move. That’s scary as hell.
I saw something about a train derailing and thought that was probably caused by the tornadoes later, like the storms travel together. But the article says it was morning winds… so which is it? Either way, Midwest can’t catch a break this month.
EF3 is “only” a category, right? Like people always say it’s the worst but then it’s not even max. Still, 75 mph winds and roofs collapsing in Stinesville, that’s just insane. Also 94 mph gust?? feels like weather is getting way too strong in June every year now, not even joking.