During the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 28, thunderstorms moved across central portions of Illinois, producing several tornadoes that damaged businesses and homes.

By AccuWeather For Business, Staff

Published Jan 6, 2026 11:45 AM EDT | Updated Jan 6, 2026 11:38 AM EDT

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Twister on the Great Plains US in spring and summer. Great light on the vortex.

When damaging weather struck Illinois on December 28, AccuWeather provided far more advance notice than other known sources in advance of these tornadoes, and in some instances was the only notice, allowing businesses and people to be better prepared.

Near Blue Mound, Illinois (south of Decatur):

AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning Meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard^®Tornado Warning that exclusively provided 7 minutes of advance notice before a tornado moved through Blue Mound, Illinois.

The National Weather Service (NWS) did not issue a tornado warning for this specific area until 4 minutes AFTER the tornado traversed the area, and thus failed to give residents time to prepare.

The additional 11 minutes of advance notice, available only from AccuWeather, were critical in enabling businesses and people to better prepare and stay safer in Blue Mound, east to Elwin, Turpin, and other communities where major damage occurred as the tornado intensified.

>> AccuWeather SkyGuard® Severe Weather Warnings better protect people and property when severe weather threatens. Each warning is communicated instantly with AccuWeather’s proven Superior Accuracy™ through multiple channels and dissemination methods, all customized to your specific needs. >>

Near Clifton, Illinois:

AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning Meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard^®Tornado Warning that exclusively provided 12 minutes of advance notice before a tornado touched down east of Clifton, Illinois, damaging homes and other structures, as well as downing large trees and power lines.

The National Weather Service (NWS) and all other known sources once again gave significantly less advance notice, issuing a tornado warning 5 minutes AFTER AccuWeather.

This critical additional advance notice, available only from AccuWeather, once again enabled businesses and people to be better prepared and stay safer.

People and businesses relying on NWS warnings or warnings from all other known sources, which repackage NWS warnings, would have been less prepared for a destructive tornado unless they were utilizing AccuWeather warnings.â¯ Some warning systems, including Wireless Emergency Alerting (WEA) based upon the less accurate NWS warnings, would have been activated too late.

AccuWeather’s earlier warnings benefited AccuWeather For Business SkyGuard^® customers and AccuWeather Premium+ subscribers through the AccuWeather app.

Study after study has shown that AccuWeather provides more accurate and often earlier notifications and greater detail on significant and extreme weather events that affect businesses and threaten the health, welfare and lives of individuals. AccuWeather has proven to be the most trusted and most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings.

This is another example of the more than 100 events every year in which AccuWeather forecasts with proven Superior Accuracy™ and clearer descriptions of weather impacts, help people, communities and businesses better prepare and stay safer.
>> Learn more about AccuWeather’s Proven Superior Accuracy^TM

AccuWeather’s SkyGuard Severe Weather Warnings

Be proactive with AccuWeather SkyGuard^® Warnings with proven Superior Accuracy™. AccuWeather’s SkyGuard warnings deliver hyperlocal, site-specific alerts and warnings with often more advance notice, before severe weather hits, giving you more time to prepare.

As an example of AccuWeather’s proven Superior Accuracy™, for tornadoes, on average, AccuWeather provides 16 minutes of advance notice compared to an average of only eight minutes from the National Weather Service. In some cases, we often provide much more advance notice.

Businesses that invest in AccuWeather’s SkyGuard Severe Weather Warnings also get access to a team of expert severe weather meteorologists, 24x7x365. AccuWeather does not just send you a warning; we confirm that you have received it, so you can make the best weather-impacted decisions for your business every time.

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