Illinois has already surpassed its record year for tornado reports
The state of Illinois has already seen more tornado reports than it has in any year since records began, while "tornado alley" states are lagging behind this year in the annual tornado tally.
A powerful cone tornado tore through buildings near Effingham, Illinois, right near I-70.
Illinois has led the nation in preliminary tornado reports for most of 2026, and after five were tallied during a severe weather outbreak on June 17, the state has surpassed its record for the most in a year. And it's only June.
At that time, there had been 164 tornado reports in Illinois, a number that grew to 205 on June 24, according to data from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). The large number is mostly due to tornado outbreaks in March, April, and June. Illinois had only one tornado report in May.
Mississippi and Indiana have the second-highest tornado count so far in 2026, with 82 tornadoes, exactly half of Illinois' total.
In addition to Illinois, Indiana has also experienced its largest number of "confirmed" tornadoes, in which the National Weather Service conducted a storm survey confirming rotating wind damage. A total of 72 tornadoes have been surveyed in Indiana this year, tying the record set in 2011.
An unusual year so far versus the historical average
This trend bucks the historical average. Typically, by the end of June, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas — classic "Tornado Alley" — would be at the top of the charts for tornado reports. Illinois would typically have only 45 reports, or 157 fewer than this year.
“The dynamics this year have favored Illinois, with storms staying to the north of Texas and Oklahoma," AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers said. "Additionally, the drought in the western U.S. had sent a lot of warm air aloft across Texas and Oklahoma, which has helped to limit the overall severe weather across the South.”
Illinois is also near the top of the chart for high wind reports, which include automated wind gust data from weather stations. The state has 600 wind reports so far this year, just below Kansas' 608 reports.
Three EF3 tornadoes have been reported in the state this year. The strongest was one that traveled 35.6 miles with winds as high as 160 mph, causing major damage from Kankakee, Illinois, to Roselawn, Indiana, on March 10.
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