Kankakee Tornado and Lake Village Indiana Tornado Kill 2, Leave Trail of Devastation Across Illinois and Indiana
A violent tornado emergency tore through Kankakee, Illinois, and Lake Village, Indiana, on Tuesday night, March 10, leaving two people dead, dozens injured, and entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble. It marked the first Tornado Emergency issued in 2026, as a violent long-track supercell produced destruction stretching from central Illinois deep into northwest Indiana.
How the Kankakee Tornado Unfolded Tuesday Evening
Shortly after 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, rotation was observed just northwest of Shebance, Illinois. The tornado touched down near the Kankakee County Fairgrounds, then traveled northeast toward the Kankakee Public Safety Center and the Jerome Combs Detention Center, both of which sustained damage.
The tornado then continued northeast, crossing the Kankakee River into Aroma Park, where it caused extensive damage. The county's 911 center was overwhelmed with emergency calls.
Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey confirmed at least seven people suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Illinois, and a state of emergency was declared for the county due to the severity of storm damage.
Lake Village Indiana Tornado: Complete Annihilation of Homes
Lake Village, Indiana — a town of about 1,800 people in Newton County — was directly in the path of the tornado Tuesday night. When first responders arrived overnight, they found total devastation. Houses had collapsed, people were trapped inside, and livestock was loose in the streets.
A tornado struck a home directly, killing an elderly couple, Newton County Coroner Scott McCord confirmed in a news release. Their names had not been released as of Wednesday morning.
Officials said the tornado carved a destruction path 45 to 50 miles long and that Lake Village was "decimated." The homes of four local firefighters were among the damaged properties.
Roughly 250 search-and-rescue personnel were deployed overnight, sectioning Lake Village into a grid to perform primary searches. As of Wednesday morning, no additional missing persons had been reported.
Tornado Warning vs. Tornado Emergency: What Kankakee Triggered
The Kankakee tornado prompted the highest level of alert in the National Weather Service system — a full Tornado Emergency.
A tornado watch means weather conditions exist that could produce tornadoes. A tornado warning means a tornado has been spotted or confirmed by radar, posing imminent danger to life and property. A Tornado Emergency is reserved for situations where a confirmed violent tornado poses an immediate, catastrophic threat to a populated area.
The National Weather Service confirmed a large and extremely dangerous tornado near Hopkins Park, moving east at 25 mph, before it crossed into Indiana and prompted a Tornado Emergency for Knox, Indiana.
Record-Breaking Hail in Kankakee Illinois: A Potential State Record
The Kankakee Illinois tornado was only part of the destruction. The same supercell dropped historic hail across the region.
The storms produced hail ranging from 3 to 5 inches in diameter. One 6-inch diameter hailstone measured in Kankakee, Illinois, is being considered for a new state record by the National Weather Service.
If confirmed, the 6-inch stone — roughly the size of a honeydew melon — would shatter the current Illinois state record of 4.75 inches set in Minooka in 2015. Hailstones of that size can fall at speeds exceeding 100 mph.
Power Outages, Emergency Declarations, and Shelter in Kankakee and Newton County
In Newton County, Indiana, an estimated 70 utility poles were downed, leaving 2,500 customers without power. ComEd reported roughly 27,000 Illinois customers impacted overnight, with power restored to all but about 4,000 by early Wednesday — mostly concentrated in Kankakee County.
Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey, County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand, and Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis filed an emergency declaration with the State of Illinois seeking disaster assistance.
A Red Cross shelter was opened at Kankakee Community College, offering meals, charging stations, and pet kennels. North Newton High School in Lake Village, Indiana, was also designated as an emergency shelter for displaced residents.
Severe Weather Outlook: Tornado Watch Still Active, Threat Shifts East
As of Wednesday morning, parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio remained under a tornado watch. The severe storm threat was shifting toward the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley, with areas from Pittsburgh to Washington and the Gulf Coast under a Level 2 of 5 threat for damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said he had been briefed on the tornado damage across Kankakee and surrounding communities and that his administration was working with local officials to coordinate full support for recovery efforts. Residents in Lake Village and Newton County were urged to remain home and avoid travel while search and damage assessment operations continued.
