A deadly severe weather outbreak over the weekend brought Illinois’ preliminary tornado count for the year to 200, more than doubling the count of any other state.
Forty tornado reports were filed Sunday with the Storm Prediction Center, mostly among Peoria and Jasper, Indiana, according to AccuWeather.
Two people were killed and five injured in Illinois’ Jefferson County on Sunday, with an additional person killed in Kansas.
Illinois’ tornado count reaches 200
Illinois broke its annual tornado record June 17 as multiple confirmed tornadoes ravaged their way across the state.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill told the Peoria Journal Star the following day that the state’s preliminary tornado count reached 164, with the final count likely lower.
Still, this number far surpassed Illinois’ former annual record of 147 tornadoes in 2025, as well as its annual average of 64, according to Merrill.
The Storm Prediction Center reported Tuesday afternoon that Illinois’ preliminary count had reached 200 more than double that of any other state.
According to AccuWeather, the runner-up to Illinois is Kansas, with 83 preliminary tornado reports as of Monday.
Jefferson County tornado kills two in Illinois
One of the tornadoes Sunday evening touched down in northeastern Jefferson County near Mount Vernon, destroying three mobile homes, killing two people and sending five others to the hospital with injuries, according to the local sheriff’s office.
The office announced Monday morning that the fatalities included 83-year-old Delores B. Shelton and 62-year-old Sarita L. Kimble.
AccuWeather reported that 14,000 Illinois customers also lost power Sunday evening amid the severe storms, with power lines and trees knocked down across the state.
When does Illinois’ tornado season end?
Illinois residents should be prepared for tornadoes at any point throughout the year.
Most tornadoes occur in Illinois between April 1 and June 30, according to the National Weather Service, but nearly half of the state’s tornadoes in recent years have struck in fall and winter (September through February).
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois’ record year for tornadoes continues. How many so far?
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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By Hannah Hudnall, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
