KANKAKEE, Illinois — A powerful tornado tore through Kankakee County on Tuesday evening, ripping apart buildings and downing trees and power lines as it tracked from the south side of Kankakee toward Aroma Park and into northwest Indiana, where authorities said an elderly couple was killed in their Lake Village home. Emergency crews across the Illinois–Indiana border spent the night and Wednesday morning searching damaged neighborhoods, clearing debris and restoring electricity as forecasters and storm-survey teams began the work of confirming how many tornadoes touched down and how strong they were. 1





The tornado touched down near Kankakee at roughly 6:20–6:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, moving along the far south side of the city near the airport and pushing toward Hopkins Park before continuing east into Indiana, according to reporting citing the National Weather Service. Officials warned residents to stay off roads as debris and downed lines created dangerous conditions, while emergency dispatchers faced a surge of calls. 2

What happened: a supercell over the Kankakee River Valley

Authorities said the tornado struck near the Kankakee fairgrounds and then traveled northeast into Aroma Park, where damage was described as extensive. By late Tuesday, Illinois State Police and county officials were still working to determine the full scope of the destruction, with early reports showing damage to homes and businesses and widespread utility impacts. 3

By Wednesday, officials said nine people in Kankakee County suffered minor injuries, while the National Weather Service confirmed at least one tornado in the area and continued to evaluate additional reports tied to the same storm. 1

Meteorologists described the event as being driven by a supercell thunderstorm—a rotating storm structure capable of producing long-lived tornadoes and very large hail. The National Weather Service’s Northern Indiana office said the storm developed near Kankakee in an environment sharpened by a temperature gradient linked to a Lake Michigan lake-breeze boundary, helping the supercell remain intense as it moved into northwest Indiana. 4

Indiana impact: deaths, rescues and crippled utilities

Across the state line, the storm’s most severe human toll was reported in Newton County, Indiana, where officials said a tornado struck Lake Village, killing an elderly couple after their home was destroyed. Crews also carried out rescues for some residents trapped in damaged houses, while officials said numerous roads were impassable. 1

Utility damage in Indiana was significant. Newton County officials said at least 70 utility poles were knocked down, and the region faced extensive downed wire and road hazards. The Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) reported that outages in Lake Village and nearby communities dropped from more than 11,000 at the peak to about 4,300 late Wednesday morning, indicating incremental restoration as crews worked through damaged infrastructure. 1

Power outages and emergency actions in Illinois

In Illinois, the storm’s immediate aftermath included large-scale outages and municipal emergency actions. On Tuesday night, ComEd reported just over 7,000 customers without power in the affected area as of late evening, while local leaders filed an emergency declaration with the state, according to reporting that cited a statement from the sheriff’s office. 2

By early Wednesday, outages persisted but appeared lower than the prior night’s peak. FOX 32 reported that 4,153 ComEd customers in Kankakee County were without electricity early Wednesday, representing about 8% of the county’s roughly 50,600 ComEd customers. NBC Chicago, citing ComEd figures from Tuesday evening, also reported thousands of outages concentrated around Kankakee and listed community-level outage impacts, including heavy disruption in Aroma Park. 5

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he had been briefed on the damage and that state emergency management officials were in contact with local authorities to offer support, according to local reporting that quoted his social-media statement. 6

Giant hail—and a hailstone that could rewrite Illinois records

Alongside tornado damage, the storm produced exceptionally large hail in and around Kankakee. The Associated Press reported hail ranging from 3 to 5 inches in diameter, with a 6-inch hailstone that may be considered for an Illinois record pending confirmation by the National Weather Service. WTTW similarly reported that a 6-inch hailstone in Kankakee was “awaiting confirmation” as the largest ever in the state and noted numerous reports of 3- to 5-inch stones. 1

Latest developments in the last 24 hours: surveys, counts and what’s still unknown

As cleanup continues, forecasters emphasized that the tornado tally and intensity ratings remain preliminary until damage surveys are completed. WTTW reported that National Weather Service survey crews would be on the ground in the coming days to confirm the number of tornadoes and their strength, while the NWS Northern Indiana office said a survey crew would begin assessing damage west of Knox, Indiana, on Wednesday morning. 7

On the broader storm footprint, meteorologists said multiple tornadoes were possible across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana from the same severe-weather episode. The Associated Press, citing the National Weather Service office in Chicago, reported that one supercell was responsible for at least four tornadoes. 1

Regional and national implications: a system moving east

Beyond Illinois and Indiana, the severe-weather threat was part of a larger system stretching across the central United States. The Associated Press quoted a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center describing the event as a fairly typical early spring strong storm system expected to shift eastward, bringing the risk of additional severe weather into the mid-Atlantic and East Coast region on Wednesday. 3

What comes next

The next key milestones will be the National Weather Service’s official tornado ratings (Enhanced Fujita scale), final storm-track mapping, and updated damage estimates—critical for determining eligibility for certain forms of disaster assistance and for guiding rebuilding decisions. Meanwhile, local officials have continued to urge the public to avoid travel in hard-hit areas as crews clear debris and utilities repair damaged lines and poles. 2