Deadly Tornadoes and Giant Hail Tear Across Central United States as Severe Storms Continue East

Powerful storms sweep across the central United States

A powerful storm system swept across the central United States Tuesday night into Wednesday, bringing tornadoes, destructive hail, and damaging winds.

At least two people were killed when a tornado struck the small community of Lake Village, IN, United States, according to local emergency officials.

“Right before 7 p.m., a large tornado hit our community, and it hit us hard," said Lori Postma of the Lake Village Volunteer Fire Department.

Across the region, storms continued through the night. Lightning flashed. Winds roared. Hail pounded rooftops as the system tracked eastward from Texas toward the Great Lakes.

About 70,000 customers lost power as the storms moved through several states.

Tornado damage reported in Illinois and Indiana

One of the hardest hit areas was near Kankakee, IL, United States, where a tornado tore through neighborhoods Tuesday evening.

Drone footage showed buildings damaged and debris scattered across residential streets. Emergency crews worked overnight with flashlights, stepping through piles of splintered wood and fallen trees while searching damaged homes.

Kankakee Mayor Christopher W. Curtis confirmed that no deaths had been reported in the county, although seven people suffered minor injuries. Several homes and businesses were damaged, and multiple roads remained closed due to downed power lines and fallen trees.

Residents described the terrifying moments as the storm arrived.

Brandy Peppin said she had only minutes of warning before the tornado reached her home.

“Thank God," she told CNN. “And I ran, grabbed my dog who was already in the closet where we go down into the crawl space. Literally pulled the door open. He fell into the crawl space, and I went down there and we rode the tornado out. It was so loud."

“You could just tell there was debris hitting the house," she said. “There would be little bangs and then big ones. It was so loud."

Communities in Indiana suffer direct hit

Farther east, Lake Village, IN experienced a direct strike from the tornado.

Indiana State Police reported that multiple homes were destroyed as the storm moved through the community. Authorities continue to assess the number of structures damaged.

Standing in front of debris from what appeared to be a destroyed home, Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran urged residents to stay away from the area.

“Lake Village has experienced a tornado. There are several houses that have been hit. A lot of damage. Please do not come here."

Local emergency shelters were opened in nearby schools for residents forced to leave their homes.

Fire officials said the scale of the damage meant recovery efforts could take time.

“It is going to be a long night," said Lake Township Fire Chief Rob Churchill.

Massive hail and widespread storm impacts

The storm system also produced unusually large hail across several states.

Just south of Kankakee, hail measuring more than 5 inches in diameter fell during the storm. If confirmed, it could establish a new state hail record for Illinois.
Other areas reported significant hail as well.

• Half dollar size hail fell in Chicago, IL, United States
• Hail up to 3.5 inches in diameter was reported near Kansas City
• Baseball size hail was reported in Buffalo Gap, TX, United States

The same supercell thunderstorm tracked across the region for more than two hours. It first produced a tornado near Pontiac, IL before moving into northern Indiana.

At one point the storm triggered a Tornado Emergency warning for Knox, IN, the highest level of tornado alert issued by meteorologists.

Flooding and additional storms expected

Severe thunderstorms also produced heavy rainfall across parts of Texas.

The Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area, Texas, United States remained under a flash flood warning for several hours overnight as storms stalled over the region.

Meteorologists say the storm environment remains favorable for severe weather.

More than 55 million people remain under a level 2 severe weather risk stretching from Texas and Louisiana northeastward toward Pennsylvania.

The main threat Wednesday is expected to shift toward damaging wind gusts. Still, forecasters say a few tornadoes remain possible, particularly in the Lower Mississippi Valley and parts of Ohio, PA, and West Virginia.

Emergency response continues in damaged communities

In Kankakee County, IL, authorities declared a state of emergency while search and rescue teams continued working through damaged areas.

Local officials asked residents to check on neighbors while avoiding unnecessary travel.

“I want to remind area residents to check on their neighbors and loved ones but to avoid unnecessary travel," said Sheriff Mike Downey.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said state officials were monitoring the situation closely.

“Keeping in our thoughts all Illinoisans impacted by the severe weather. We will be here to help them recover," he wrote in a statement.

Meteorologists say the combination of warm Gulf moisture, strong winds in the upper atmosphere, and sharp temperature contrasts created the volatile conditions that fueled the outbreak.

The same environment continues to support severe storms as the system shifts eastward.