Tornado outbreak of April 17–18, 2026
Severe weather event
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A major tornado outbreak took place between April 17–18, 2026 within the Midwestern United States, Upper Midwest, and the Southern Plains. The Storm Prediction Center forecasted a wind and hail-driven moderate risk for severe weather on April 17, covering portions of northern Oklahoma, central and eastern portions of Kansas, and western Missouri, with a risk for very large to giant hail, extreme damaging winds, and strong to intense tornadoes.[1] Throughout the afternoon and evening hours, multiple tornadoes touched down in and around the risk area. Multiple houses were damaged and two people were injured by a high-end EF2 tornado that tracked through southern portions of Rochester, Minnesota.[2] The town of Lena, Illinois was struck by a large high-end EF2 tornado inflicting significant damage.[3] A low-end EF3 tornado tracked through areas near Cream, Wisconsin, causing significant damage to a home by removing most of its exterior walls and destroying several outbuildings.[4] Another EF3 tornado struck portions of Ringle, Wisconsin, damaging and destroying around 75 homes and minorly damaging a school.[5][4] Tornadoes in the Bloomington–Normal area heavily delayed two Amtrak trains as well.[6]
Map of tornadoes and counties placed under tornado warnings from April 17 to April 18 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | April 17–18, 2026 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 86 |
Max. rating | EF3 tornado |
| Duration | 10 hours, 8 minutes |
| Highest winds | Tornadic – 145 mph (233 km/h) (Ringle, Wisconsin EF3 on April 17) |
| Highest gusts | Non-tornadic – 91 mph (146 km/h) in Durant, Iowa |
| Largest hail | 3 inches (7.6 cm) in Dakota, Illinois on April 17 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 3 |
Areas affected | Central and Midwestern United States |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2026 | |
Overall, 86 tornadoes have been confirmed during the outbreak.[4]
Meteorological synopsis
Despite there being several rounds of thunderstorms in the day before this, a very unstable air mass was present over the Midwest extending down into Oklahoma. On April 15, 2026, the Storm Prediction Center outlined a Day 3 enhanced risk for much of Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Missouri, along with smaller portions of Illinois and Wisconsin, with all severe hazards considered possible.[7] The following day, the enhanced risk was maintained, with the primary corridor for tornadic potential being located in southwestern Wisconsin, along with small parts of northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. This was driven by a CIG1 hatched 10% risk for tornadoes, later updated with a CIG2 hatched area being added in this update, with EF3+ tornadoes possible.[8][9] This outlook was maintained into the next morning.
The next afternoon at the 1630 UTC Day 1 update, the SPC issued a Level 4/Moderate risk for severe weather in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.[1] Across the whole Enhanced risk area a very unstable air mass was present, extending from the Midwest down into Oklahoma, with dew points in the low 60's in Minnesota to the low 70's °F in Oklahoma and MLCAPE values reaching 3000 J/kg over Kansas into Iowa.[10] In the Midwest, storms were expected to initially become supercells along a cold front and sweep east across Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. As the sun set, the storms would merge into a squall line with a threat for damaging winds with brief tornadoes also likely across Illinois. Further south in the Moderate risk, supercells were expected to fire along a dry line near a triple point in Kansas and Oklahoma, but tornadoes were seen as less likely as winds were parallel throughout the atmosphere. However, giant hail (3-3.5" in diameter) and damaging winds up to 90 mph was still seen as likely.[11][1]
Around 2 pm CDT, storms initiated along the entire line, roughly along I-35, with two Tornado watches being issued.[12][13] However, a pair of supercells formed well ahead of the line in IA/IL/WI border in an environment marked with 100-200 m^2/s^2 of storm relative helicity (SRH) and produced multiple strong tornadoes in northern Illinois and Wisconsin, including an EF2 tornado near Lena, Illinois around 3:30 pm CDT and an EF1 tornado near Janesville, Wisconsin later after 5 pm CDT.[14][15] Further north in Wisconsin, another cluster of supercells ahead of the line produced an EF3 tornado near Wausau, heavily damaging several homes. Along the main line, storms struggled to turn tornadic in Iowa, but over Minnesota a supercell was able to produce multiple EF2 tornadoes around Rochester and an EF3 tornado just across the Wisconsin border.[15] Tornado activity across Iowa remained fairly limited with only four weak tornadoes confirmed despite the favorable environment, though large hail was common.[16] In Kansas, another supercell also formed ahead of the front, but was unable to produce a tornado in the relatively unfavorable environment.[17]
Around and after sunset, the line in Iowa began to congeal into a squall line and produce widespread damaging winds. Although MLCAPE values were lower, around 1500 J/kg, SRH values were increasing from around 200 to 450 m^2/s^2 thanks to the strengthening of the nocturnal low-level jet, and mesovortices formed along the line causing widespread tornadic activity.[18][19] Over two dozen tornadoes struck Central Illinois, with multiple tornado warnings being issued, including for the National Weather Service office in Lincoln. Two EF2 tornadoes formed around 7:30 pm CDT around Table Grove and caused extensive tree damage. At 7:50 pm CDT, the first of two 30+ mile EF1 tornadoes touched town near Bluff City along the Illinois River and tracked nearly 37 miles, dissipating near San Jose. This mesovorticy went on to produce another EF2 tornado and an EF1 tornado that formed at 8:57 pm CDT and hit Normal while at the same time another EF1 tornado tracked through Bloomington. At that same time, the second 30+ mile EF1 tornado touched down south of Bloomington eventually impacting the city of Downs. Tornadoes continued eastward, but began to taper off as the squall line weakened. The last EF2 tornado touched down at 10:14 pm CDT and past south of Sheldon, snapping power poles as their base.[15]
Further south along the line over Kansas and Oklahoma, storms did turn severe, but most failed to turn tornadic in the unfavorable conditions, though a couple still did occur. The supercells that formed in Kansas crossed over into Missouri and entered a more favorable environment and produced multiple weak tornadoes across the central part of the state.[20][15]
Confirmed tornadoes
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 22 | 50 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 86 |
April 17 event
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | NNE of Sargeant to SSE of Oslo | Mower, Dodge | MN | 43.8468°N 92.7803°W | 18:45–18:50 | 3.05 mi (4.91 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| A grain silo had minor damage.[4][21] | |||||||
| EF0 | SSE of Oslo to S of Rock Dell | Dodge, Olmsted | MN | 43.8596°N 92.7193°W | 18:53–19:02 | 3.93 mi (6.32 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| A few farm buildings and trees sustained light damage.[4][22] | |||||||
| EFU | N of Nashville to WSW of Fulton | Jackson | IA | 42.127°N 90.7807°W | 19:15–19:19 | 1.03 mi (1.66 km) | [to be determined] |
| Storm spotters and storm chasers reported a tornado. No damage was noted.[4][23] | |||||||
| EF2 | Northern Stewartville to southeastern Rochester | Olmsted | MN | 43.8722°N 92.4826°W | 19:17–19:31 | 9.67 mi (15.56 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| This strong, high-end EF2 tornado formed in northern Stewartville and traveled northeast, damaging numerous homes and farmsteads along its path. The most significant damage occurred near US 52, where homes sustained severe impacts including roof removal and partially collapsed exterior walls. The tornado then lifted shortly after causing this damage. Two people were injured.[4][24] | |||||||
| EF1 | Northeastern Rochester to NNW of Elgin | Olmsted, Wabasha | MN | 44.0426°N 92.4102°W | 19:30–19:54 | 12.12 mi (19.51 km) | 80 yd (73 m) |
| Minor damage to shingles occurred as the tornado touched down in northeastern Rochester. It then moved through rural areas, causing sporadic damage to farm outbuildings and trees.[4][25] | |||||||
| EF2 | E of Viola to ESE of Plainview | Olmsted, Wabasha | MN | 44.0689°N 92.2182°W | 19:46–20:00 | 7.5 mi (12.1 km) | 150 yd (140 m) |
| A significant tornado damaged trees and outbuildings. One home lost its roof and portions of its garage roof.[4][26] | |||||||
| EF0 | WNW of Saratoga to S of Chester | Howard | IA | 43.3779°N 92.431°W | 19:47–19:54 | 4.42 mi (7.11 km) | 60 yd (55 m) |
| An outbuilding was damaged and a truck was rolled, injuring the driver.[4][27] | |||||||
| EF1 | ESE of The Galena Territory to SW of Schapville | Jo Daviess | IL | 42.3913°N 90.2979°W | 19:47–19:54 | 3.7 mi (6.0 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| This tornado damaged the awning of a house and sporadic tree damage.[4][28] | |||||||
| EFU | NE of Potter | Atchison | KS | 39.4628°N 95.1043°W | 20:08 | 0.02 mi (0.032 km) | [to be determined] |
| A storm chaser observed a brief tornado.[4][29] | |||||||
| EF3 | S of Cream to N of Montana | Buffalo | WI | 44.2843°N 91.7737°W | 20:27–20:42 | 8.57 mi (13.79 km) | 125 yd (114 m) |
| This intense tornado formed near Cream and tracked northeast over primarily forested terrain, causing widespread damage to trees and farm outbuildings as it intensified along its path. Near WIS 88, it produced its most significant damage by removing the roof and many exterior walls of a well-built home while numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in the surrounding area. The tornado then continued northeast, causing additional tree and structural damage before dissipating just to the north of Montana.[4][30] | |||||||
| EF2 | NE of Kent to Lena to SW of Orangeville | Stephenson | IL | 42.3547°N 89.8738°W | 20:32–21:03 | 12.54 mi (20.18 km) | 1,250 yd (1,140 m) |
| This large tornado first touched down along US 20 southwest of Lena first causing EF1 damage to trees. The tornado tracked northeastward, snapping and uprooting more trees and destroying power poles at EF2 intensity, as captured on a camera in Lena, wrapped in rain. The tornado then turned due east, moving directly into town, where it caused widespread and significant EF2 roof damage. A lot of houses had shingle and siding damage, while trees in the area were snapped or uprooted at EF2 intensity. The tornado then reached peak strength as it caused severe damage, where three houses lost their entire roof structure, and two other homes experienced partial exterior wall collapse. The tornado then turned back to the northeast, causing additional damage to farm structures and extensive tree damage before weakening and dissipating. The entire town was left without power.[4][28] The town of Lena was shut down by the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Steve Stovall urged the community to avoid the town of Lena until further notice.[31] | |||||||
| EF1 | Olivet | Osage | KS | 38.4791°N 95.7608°W | 21:07–21:09 | 1.1 mi (1.8 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| A tornado moved through Olivet, severely damaging several outbuildings. Metal siding, framing, and roofing debris were lofted several hundred yards to the northeast of the town.[4][32] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Blair | Trempealeau | WI | 44.2947°N 91.2958°W | 21:08–21:17 | 5.73 mi (9.22 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| This high-end EF1 tornado snapped or uprooted hundreds of trees across rural areas.[4][33] | |||||||
| EFU | SE of Postville | Clayton | IA | 43.0569°N 91.5319°W | 21:17–21:19 | 0.69 mi (1.11 km) | 20 yd (18 m) |
| A storm chaser recorded a brief tornado. No damage occurred.[4][34] | |||||||
| EF1 | SE of Osseo to W of Price | Trempealeau, Jackson | WI | 44.5493°N 91.1703°W | 21:19–21:24 | 4.56 mi (7.34 km) | 80 yd (73 m) |
| A tornado tracked through forested terrain and caused extensive damage to large swaths of trees throughout its path.[4][35] | |||||||
| EFU | N of Pecatonica | Winnebago | IL | 42.3512°N 89.3571°W | 21:35–21:37 | 0.69 mi (1.11 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| A storm chaser documented a brief tornado in an open field.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF1 | WNW of Glandon to S of Doering | Marathon, Lincoln | WI | 45.1036°N 89.4805°W | 21:44–21:55 | 4.33 mi (6.97 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| This tornado developed near Glandon and caused significant damage to farm structures, including collapsing part of a barn, pushing a silo off its foundation, and tearing most of the roof and some walls from a metal outbuilding. As it moved north-northeast, it crossed WIS 64, downing trees and causing additional damage to garages and outbuildings. The tornado continued to produce tree and structural damage before weakening and dissipating.[4][37] | |||||||
| EF3 | E of Kronenwetter to S of Johnson | Marathon | WI | 44.8414°N 89.5661°W | 21:46–22:03 | 13.53 mi (21.77 km) | 600 yd (550 m) |
| See section on tornado[4][38] | |||||||
| EF1 | S of Hatfield | Jackson | WI | 44.3922°N 90.762°W | 21:51–21:58 | 4.02 mi (6.47 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| A tornado developed on the banks of the Black River, causing extensive tree damage and minor damage to a home, before dissipating near the railroad tracks to the southeast of town.[4][39] | |||||||
| EF1 | SSE of Harrison to SW of Rockton | Winnebago | IL | 42.3942°N 89.1782°W | 21:58–22:07 | 4.32 mi (6.95 km) | 125 yd (114 m) |
| A tornado damaged farmsteads, destroyed outbuildings, and snapped or uprooted multiple trees. It reached peak intensity at a residence where most of the roof of a two-story home was removed, an old barn was destroyed, and additional trees were snapped. The tornado then turned sharply southward, weakened, and dissipated in an open field.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of West Chester to SSE of Richmond | Washington | IA | 41.3496°N 91.7455°W | 22:02–22:10 | 5.34 mi (8.59 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| This tornado snapped numerous power poles and trees. Some farm outbuildings had their sheet metal roofs ripped off and a semi-truck was tipped over.[4][28] | |||||||
| EF1 | Belton to Raymore | Cass | MO | 38.7972°N 94.5402°W | 22:19–22:29 | 4.81 mi (7.74 km) | [to be determined] |
| This high-end EF1 tornado began on the south side of Belton and moved northeast through the city, damaging homes and trees through a neighborhood and across a cemetery. It then struck another neighborhood south of Route 58, producing additional structural and tree damage before weakening to more sporadic impacts. The tornado continued east-northeast, crossing I-49 and damaging the roofs of several homes in Raymore before lifting.[4][40] | |||||||
| EF1 | SSE of Janesville | Rock | WI | 42.6062°N 88.9434°W | 23:02–23:05 | 1.91 mi (3.07 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| An EF1 tornado was confirmed by NWS Milwaukee. Preliminary information.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF1 | Emerald Grove | Rock | WI | 42.6494°N 88.9028°W | 23:05–23:10 | 2.07 mi (3.33 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| This tornado tracked through Emerald Grove, destroying a barn and damaging an antique shop. Significant tree damage occurred as well.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF1 | S of Johnstown Center to NNE of Fairfield | Rock, Walworth | WI | 42.6732°N 88.8419°W | 23:15–23:21 | 4.41 mi (7.10 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| A multi-vortex tornado damaged multiple sheds.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Darien to western Delavan | Walworth | WI | 42.6362°N 88.7222°W | 23:39–23:46 | 2.98 mi (4.80 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| This tornado caused damage at four farmsteads, one of which had an empty silo's top half collapse. Multiple trees were damaged as well.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF0 | Viola | Mercer | IL | 41.198°N 90.5953°W | 23:40–23:42 | 0.95 mi (1.53 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| This tornado caused mainly tree damage by uprooting, snapping, and shearing treetops, while also producing minor structural damage including uplifting half of a home's roof and damaging the brick facade of a business.[4][28] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Delavan | Walworth | WI | 42.6509°N 88.6897°W | 23:43–23:46 | 3.07 mi (4.94 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| This tornado touched down on the banks of the Turtle Creek and tracked east-northeast. It destroyed a barn shed and damaged three barns, a garage, and a house before lifting.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF1 | NE of West Point to Denver to SE of Bentley | Hancock | IL | 40.2718°N 91.1602°W | 23:55–00:03 | 5.67 mi (9.12 km) | 150 yd (140 m) |
| A tornado developed southwest of Denver and tracked through town, snapping numerous trees and causing widespread damage to utility poles, with dozens broken or bent along its path. Structural damage also occurred, primarily to facades, windows, and roofs of homes and businesses.[4][28] | |||||||
| EF1 | Southern Ponca City to McCord to SW of Apperson | Kay, Osage | OK | 36.68°N 97.15°W | 23:56–00:19 | 18.4 mi (29.6 km) | 1,200 yd (1,100 m) |
| This tornado formed west-southwest of Ponca City and moved generally eastward across Business US 60 and parallel to US 60/US 177, causing sporadic EF0 tree and power pole damage on the south side of the town. After crossing US 77/Business US 60, the tornado intensified to EF1 strength as it crossed the Arkansas River into Osage County and struck McCord, uprooting or snapping numerous trees, damaging homes, and blowing down power poles. The tornado then paralleled the Arkansas River before crossing back over it into Kay County briefly. It then crossed the river again back into Osage County south of the Kaw Lake dam, uprooting and snapping numerous trees and damaging homes. The tornado then continued east-northeastward over open terrain before dissipating.[4][42][43] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of Harrison to Roscoe | Winnebago | IL | 42.4195°N 89.1533°W | 00:03–00:17 | 11.61 mi (18.68 km) | 350 yd (320 m) |
| A tornado touched down and immediately inflicted tree damage. It continued east before reaching peak intensity in residential subdivisions where multiple homes sustained roof, siding, and fascia damage, garage doors were blown in, and numerous trees were uprooted or damaged. It continued eastward into Roscoe, knocking down power poles and damaging a farm outbuilding before crossing the Rock River, where it produced more extensive tree damage and additional minor to moderate damage to homes. The tornado then dissipated near the Winnebago-Boone county line.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF1 | SSE of Erie | Henry | IL | 41.5688°N 90.052°W | 00:04–00:07 | 0.25 mi (0.40 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| This brief tornado impacted a farmstead, damaging a few outbuildings and causing minor tree damage.[4][28] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of Ponca City | Kay, Osage | OK | 36.71°N 96.94°W | 00:11–00:13 | 1.01 mi (1.63 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| This brief tornado damaged boat shelters at the Hidaway Marina in McFadden Cove just northwest of the Kaw Lake dam. The tornado then crossed into Osage County, uprooting a few trees before dissipating.[4][42][43] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of Middle Creek to ENE of Colmar | Hancock, McDonough | IL | 40.3701°N 90.9554°W | 00:13–00:21 | 6.04 mi (9.72 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| This tornado damaged several outbuildings, including one that was destroyed. Multiple power poles were snapped or nearly blown over and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.[4][28] | |||||||
| EF1 | SE of Centerville to Toulon | Knox, Stark | IL | 41.0427°N 90.0288°W | 00:15–00:27 | 10.27 mi (16.53 km) | [to be determined] |
| A tornado touched down, causing damage to large tree limbs and power poles before moving northeast and crossing into Stark County. The tornado caused damage to shingles and siding and inflicted significant damage to a large outbuilding with portions of its metal roof removed. It continued producing intermittent tree damage and minor impacts to additional homes before entering Toulon, where it damaged an outbuilding, carport, and electrical poles. It then uprooted large trees and caused further roof and siding damage to homes. As the tornado exited town, it lifted over an open field.[4][44] | |||||||
| EF0 | ENE of Spring Prairie to W of Burlington | Walworth | WI | 42.6982°N 88.3661°W | 00:22–00:25 | 1.85 mi (2.98 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| An intermittent tornado peeled two roofs, damaged siding on a garage, snapped several tree limbs and uprooted a few trees.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF0 | Southern White Branch | Benton | MO | 38.225°N 93.3501°W | 00:23 | 0.01 mi (0.016 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| A metal building system was damaged.[4][45] | |||||||
| EF1 | Northern Warsaw | Benton | MO | 38.2453°N 93.403°W | 00:24–00:26 | 2.61 mi (4.20 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| This tornado shattered windows at the Warsaw visitor center, inflicted roof damage to businesses, overturned and destroyed mobile homes at a storage facility, and damaged, snapped, or uprooted trees.[4][46] | |||||||
| EF2 | NE of Industry to WNW of Bernadotte | McDonough, Fulton | IL | 40.364°N 90.5625°W | 00:29–00:44 | 12.82 mi (20.63 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| This low-end EF2 tornado began northeast of Industry and moved eastward, snapping power poles and damaging trees and outbuildings. The tornado then turned sharply northeastward as it approached Fulton County, ripping half the roof off a home and snapping trees. The tornado then reached its peak intensity along the county line, snapping trees, obliterating a newer wood machine shed, destroying a newer grain bin, and causing roof, siding, and exterior wall damage to homes. Debris from the destroyed structures was thrown up to a 1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) to the northeast. The tornado then crossed US 136 northwest of Table Grove and gradually turned back to the east-northeast, damaging, uprooting, and snapping numerous trees before being absorbed by the 0040 UTC EF2 tornado below.[4][47] | |||||||
| EF0 | S of Caldwell to W of Tichigan | Racine | WI | 42.8096°N 88.2781°W | 00:32–00:36 | 1.43 mi (2.30 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| A trees and tree branches were downed. A port-a-potty was also displaced.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF2 | E of Table Grove to Bryant | Fulton | IL | 40.369°N 90.3904°W | 00:40–01:01 | 18.12 mi (29.16 km) | 500 yd (460 m) |
| This tornado immediately reached its peak intensity of high-end EF2 right after it formed, snapping and shredding trees. The tornado then turned northeastward and absorbed the 0029 UTC EF2 tornado before turning back to the east-northeast, producing tree damage primarily with numerous trees uprooted and snapped. The tornado then moved through Bryant, causing a few roofs of outbuildings to be damaged before lifting just north of town.[4][47] | |||||||
| EF0 | SSE of Stover to WNW of Gravois Mills | Morgan | MO | 38.3402°N 92.9622°W | 00:44–00:47 | 1.24 mi (2.00 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| A barn and other outbuildings were damaged. Numerous trees were uprooted along with numerous large tree limbs downed.[4][48] | |||||||
| EF1 | Bluff City to Bath to San Jose | Schuyler, Fulton, Mason, Logan | IL | 40.178°N 90.246°W | 00:50–01:26 | 36.71 mi (59.08 km) | [to be determined] |
| This long-track tornado touched down and immediately moved into Bluff City, snapping trees and destroying an outbuilding. It then crossed the Illinois River into Bath where some structural damage occurred, including collapsed walls. The tornado continued producing widespread damage by overturning irrigation pivots, snapping numerous trees, and destroying grain bins near IL 97. As it progressed through and beyond Biggs, tree damage remained extensive, with some of the most notable impacts occurring in San Jose where several large trees were snapped before the tornado lifted.[4][44] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Gravois Mills | Morgan | MO | 38.3337°N 92.8358°W | 00:51–00:53 | 2.61 mi (4.20 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| Several trees were uprooted, two outbuildings were damaged and a home had some of its windows broken.[4][49] | |||||||
| EF0 | Southern Muskego | Waukesha | WI | 42.8548°N 88.1492°W | 00:52–00:55 | 0.62 mi (1.00 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) |
| A few trees were snapped, and several large tree limbs were downed.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF0 | W of Raymond to WNW of Kneeland | Racine | WI | 42.7898°N 88.0732°W | 00:55–01:00 | 3.67 mi (5.91 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| This tornado damaged a few outbuildings and broke tree branches.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF1 | Northern Raymond to Oak Creek | Racine, Milwaukee | WI | 42.8151°N 88.0808°W | 00:56–01:05 | 5.23 mi (8.42 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| Outbuildings and trees were damaged.[4][41] | |||||||
| EF0 | N of Barnett | Morgan | MO | 38.3865°N 92.693°W | 00:59–01:01 | 1.32 mi (2.12 km) | 150 yd (140 m) |
| This weak tornado lofted tree debris and bent metal rods for a hay bale shelter.[4][49] | |||||||
| EF0 | SSE of Marion to Hartsburg | Cole, Boone | MO | 38.66°N 92.36°W | 01:08–01:12 | 3.5 mi (5.6 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| A tornado snapped tree branches.[4] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Forest City to southern Manito to WNW of Dillon | Mason, Tazewell | IL | 40.3835°N 89.8375°W | 01:11–01:29 | 15.37 mi (24.74 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| A tornado began just north of Forest City, producing substantial tree damage before moving northeast and damaging a small outbuilding. As it tracked into Manito, it snapped and uprooted trees, downed power lines, and peeled the roof off another outbuilding. The tornado then moved into Tazewell County where it caused additional tree damage and tipped an irrigation system. It continued across the Mackinaw River where tree damage was observed on both of the river banks. Sporadic damage continued until the tornado finally dissipated after leaning a few power poles.[4][50] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of Arlington to NW of Earlville | Bureau, LaSalle | IL | 41.4646°N 89.2054°W | 01:14–01:32 | 17.6 mi (28.3 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| A tornado began in rural Bureau County where it caused roof damage to a barn before moving northeast and producing additional damage to trees and farm outbuildings. As it continued, several wooden power poles were damaged and a semi-truck was blown over on I-39. The tornado then caused further tree and outbuilding damage near Meriden before weakening and dissipating in an open field north of US 34.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF1 | SE of Kingston Mines to southern Pekin | Tazewell | IL | 40.5337°N 89.7403°W | 01:22–01:29 | 6.33 mi (10.19 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| This tornado began and tracked along the southern shores of Powerton Lake, causing minor damage to trees. As it moved into southern Pekin, an industrial building sustained some roof damage and several tree trunks were snapped. The tornado then lifted over Meyers Lake.[4][50] | |||||||
| EF1 | ENE of Greenview to Middletown | Menard, Logan | IL | 40.1048°N 89.6964°W | 01:26–01:32 | 5.88 mi (9.46 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| Several trees were damaged, some of which were snapped.[4][51] | |||||||
| EF1 | North Pekin to Marquette Heights | Tazewell | IL | 40.6116°N 89.6177°W | 01:27–01:30 | 2.31 mi (3.72 km) | 70 yd (64 m) |
| A tornado moved through North Pekin and Marquette Heights, causing mainly tree damage but also damaging a few homes.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | NE of South Pekin to NW of Dillon | Tazewell | IL | 40.5094°N 89.6247°W | 01:27–01:29 | 2.32 mi (3.73 km) | [to be determined] |
| Several trees were snapped in a subdivision.[4][50] | |||||||
| EF1 | SE of Delavan | Tazewell | IL | 40.5003°N 89.0673°W | 01:29–01:33 | 10.49 mi (16.88 km) | 1,100 yd (1,000 m) |
| A tornado touched down south of Delavan and moved northeast, causing damage to farm structures including tearing part of the roof off a pig barn and tossing it into a nearby field, blowing in barn doors, and destroying a large machine building. It remained mostly over open fields as it continued, producing localized structural damage before dissipating shortly before reaching I-155.[4][53] | |||||||
| EF0 | NE of Carrington to W of Fulton | Callaway | MO | 38.83°N 92.03°W | 01:31–01:34 | 2.27 mi (3.65 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| This weak tornado snapped tree branches and damaged the roof of a building at the Fulton-Elton Hensley Memorial Airport.[4] | |||||||
| EF2 | NE of Emden to SE of Hopedale | Tazewell | IL | 40.3475°N 89.4297°W | 01:34–01:38 | 4.03 mi (6.49 km) | 1,000 yd (910 m) |
| This strong tornado started just outside of Boynton where it struck a farmstead, completely destroying a machine shed and snapped an evergreen. A 2x4 from the machine shed was driven into the house on the farmstead. The tornado continued northeast, snapping trees and damaging the roof of a pig barn before it lifted.[4][53] | |||||||
| EF0 | Morton to S of Deer Creek | Tazewell, Woodford | IL | 40.623°N 89.4832°W | 01:36–01:45 | 8.41 mi (13.53 km) | 60 yd (55 m) |
| This high-end EF0 tornado touched down in northwestern Morton and damaged the roofs of a few warehouses around I-74. The tornado caused more roof damage to businesses in northern Morton and also snapped a power pole. The tornado almost paralleled I-74 and US 150, producing some minor tree damage before dissipating just after crossing US 150 and moving into Woodford County.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Lowpoint | Woodford | IL | 40.8944°N 89.3274°W | 01:36–01:37 | 0.52 mi (0.84 km) | 80 yd (73 m) |
| A well-built outbuilding was completely destroyed and another building sustained significant roofing damage.[4][44] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of Tremont to Mackinaw to SSW of Congerville | Tazewell, McLean | IL | 40.5249°N 89.4266°W | 01:37–01:51 | 10.66 mi (17.16 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| Several trees were damaged, a few homes had their siding damaged, and three large power poles were snapped.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | S of Minier to western Stanford to SE of Danvers | Tazewell, McLean | IL | 40.4036°N 89.3252°W | 01:41–01:53 | 12.42 mi (19.99 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| This tornado caused damage to trees and farm outbuildings, one of which was destroyed.[4][53] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Armington to S of Minier | Tazewell | IL | 40.3788°N 89.3207°W | 01:42–01:43 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| Minor tree damage occurred and a portion of a machine shed's roof was blown off.[4][53] | |||||||
| EF2 | E of Mackinaw to WNW of Danvers | Tazewell, McLean | IL | 40.5389°N 89.2754°W | 01:48–01:50 | 2.01 mi (3.23 km) | 300 yd (270 m) |
| This strong tornado snapped seven large power poles and damaged several outbuildings. A large grain bin was tossed several hundred yards. Tree damage also occurred.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | SE of Funks Grove to Ellsworth to SE of Anchor | McLean | IL | 40.3409°N 89.0736°W | 01:54–02:27 | 33.82 mi (54.43 km) | 150 yd (140 m) |
| This long-tracked tornado primarily damaged trees with some homes in the southern part of Downs suffering minor damage.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | Normal to Towanda | McLean | IL | 40.4934°N 89.0803°W | 01:56–02:06 | 11.31 mi (18.20 km) | 900 yd (820 m) |
| This high-end EF1 tornado touched down west of Normal and moved into the western portions of the city, damaging several metal buildings before moving northeast and causing significant tree damage across parts of the city, including on the Illinois State University campus. It continued damaging trees as it moved out of town and flipped a semi-truck on I-55. The tornado then entered Towanda, where it caused minor damage before dissipating on the northeastern side of town.[4][54] | |||||||
| EF1 | Bloomington to ESE of Lexington | McLean | IL | 40.448°N 89.0203°W | 01:57–02:18 | 20.87 mi (33.59 km) | 600 yd (550 m) |
| A high-end EF1 tornado developed I-55 and initially damaged a few greenhouses before moving northeast along Veterans Parkway, where it caused primarily tree damage through multiple golf courses and nearby areas. It then intensified slightly as it moved into residential sections, snapping trees and breaking several power poles on the eastern side of Bloomington. After exiting the city, the tornado caused additional impacts including snapped trees, damage to outbuildings, minor roof and soffit damage to a home, and more power pole damage. Near the end of its track, it damaged the roofs and doors of outbuildings and snapped another power pole and tree before lifting.[4][55] | |||||||
| EF1 | SW of Chestnut | Logan | IL | 40.0355°N 89.2242°W | 01:57–02:01 | 1.65 mi (2.66 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| A power pole was damaged.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | Rowell to SE of Ospur | DeWitt | IL | 40.072°N 89.043°W | 02:09–02:16 | 6.97 mi (11.22 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| A tornado touched down in a rural area, damaging two farm outbuildings and a tree before. As it moved eastward, it snapped a power pole and the top of tree, throwing the latter 300 yards (270 m) to the east. It then crossed US 51 and caused additional minor damage to another outbuilding and tree before dissipating.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | Lexington | McLean | IL | 40.6422°N 88.7897°W | 02:15–02:16 | 0.34 mi (0.55 km) | 25 yd (23 m) |
| Power poles and trees were snapped in Lexington. One home received minor roof damage.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | E of Pleasant Hill to SSW of Fairbury | McLean, Livingston | IL | 40.6132°N 88.6758°W | 02:19–02:27 | 7.9 mi (12.7 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| A machine shed, power poles, power lines, and many trees were damaged.[4][52][36] | |||||||
| EF0 | Saybrook to W of Derby | McLean | IL | 40.4267°N 88.5448°W | 02:24–02:27 | 3.2 mi (5.1 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| Several trees were downed and multiple tree branches were broken in Saybrook.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | S of Pinckney | Warren | MO | 38.659°N 91.2391°W | 02:29–02:31 | 1.63 mi (2.62 km) | [to be determined] |
| Multiple trees were uprooted.[4][56] | |||||||
| EF0 | WNW of Dundee | Franklin, Warren | MO | 38.59°N 91.15°W | 02:32–02:34 | 1.71 mi (2.75 km) | 25 yd (23 m) |
| A high-end EF0 tornado uprooted trees and downed tree branches.[4] | |||||||
| EF1 | W of Gibson City to WNW of Elliott | Ford | IL | 40.4648°N 88.3989°W | 02:32–02:37 | 4.9 mi (7.9 km) | 100 yd (91 m) |
| A tornado moved through Gibson City and caused significant roof damage to multiple buildings. The tornado exited the city, producing primarily tree damage before lifting in a field.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF1 | N of Monticello | Piatt | IL | 40.0767°N 88.6155°W | 02:38–02:40 | 2.36 mi (3.80 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| A concrete grain silo was collapsed and a machine shed was heavily damaged.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF1 | SSW of Troy | Lincoln | MO | 38.9254°N 91.0465°W | 02:43–02:48 | 3.72 mi (5.99 km) | [to be determined] |
| A tornado snapped a few trees and uprooted others.[4][56] | |||||||
| EF1 | WNW of Loda to E of Buckley | Ford, Iroquois | IL | 40.5326°N 88.1643°W | 02:46–02:55 | 9.24 mi (14.87 km) | 150 yd (140 m) |
| This tornado touched, immediately collapsing two empty grain bins before moving east-northeast and causing tree damage with numerous downed and uprooted trees, while also blowing over semi-trucks on Interstate 57. Near the end of its path, it removed the roof of a large outbuilding and snapped nearby trees at their base before lifting.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF0 | E of Seymour to W of Bondville | Champaign | IL | 40.1113°N 88.4081°W | 02:51 | 0.88 mi (1.42 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| A power pole and some trees were damaged.[4][52] | |||||||
| EF0 | Woodland to SE of Watseka | Iroquois | IL | 40.7138°N 88.7262°W | 03:11–03:14 | 2.94 mi (4.73 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| Trees and outbuildings were damaged.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF2 | ESE of Woodland, IL to W of Kentland, IN | Iroquois (IL), Newton (IN) | IL, IN | 40.6807°N 87.6762°W | 03:14–03:25 | 11.59 mi (18.65 km) | 125 yd (114 m) |
| This strong tornado struck multiple farms as it moved northeastward, damaging buildings and trees. It peaked in intensity as it crossed the state line, snapping over a dozen new wooden power poles. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing US 24.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF0 | N of Sun River Terrace to S of Grant Park | Kankakee | IL | 41.1575°N 87.7302°W | 03:15–03:21 | 5.6 mi (9.0 km) | 75 yd (69 m) |
| A tornado caused scattered damage to trees, roofs of outbuildings, and power poles.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF1 | SE of Kentland | Newton | IN | 40.7495°N 87.4598°W | 03:26–03:31 | 5.48 mi (8.82 km) | 50 yd (46 m) |
| This narrow tornado initially downed large tree branches before peaking in intensity as it crossed US 41 southeast of Kentland. A billboard was blown over, a restaurant had most of its roof removed, a semitruck was pushed over, and a farm outbuilding was damaged. Debris was thrown nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream into an open field north of US 24, which is where the tornado dissipated after crossing the highway.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF0 | NNE of Sherburnville, IL to Lowell, IN to E of Lake Dalecarlia, IN | Kankakee (IL), Lake (IN) | IL, IN | 41.2498°N 87.5356°W | 03:28–03:38 | 10.31 mi (16.59 km) | 250 yd (230 m) |
| A tornado began near the Illinois–Indiana border, producing tree damage and minor structural impacts before moving northeast and causing additional tree damage near US 41. As it tracked toward and through Lowell, it damaged a gas station canopy along SR 2 and blew out a garage wall at a residence, while continuing to produce scattered tree damage and minor structural impacts. The tornado then moved south of the Lake Dalecarlia area, where damage consisted mainly of downed trees and minor structural damage from falling debris, before dissipating prior to reaching SR 55.[4][36] | |||||||
| EF0 | Tilton | Vermilion | IL | 40.0916°N 87.6427°W | 03:45 | 0.41 mi (0.66 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| A few trees had minor damage in Tilton.[4][52] | |||||||
April 18 event
| EF# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF0 | N of South Bend | St. Joseph | IN | 41.7515°N 86.3158°W | 04:51–04:53 | 1.28 mi (2.06 km) | 200 yd (180 m) |
| Several trees were downed, a few of which fell onto buildings and damaged them.[4][57] | |||||||
Ringle, Wisconsin
 The tornado in Ringle as seen from a construction site security camera | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 17, 2026, 4:46 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Dissipated | April 17, 2026, 5:03 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Duration | 17 minutes |
| EF3 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 145 mph (233 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Areas affected | Marathon County, Wisconsin, particularly in Ringle |
This intense and destructive tornado first touched down at 4:46 p.m. CDT in Marathon County, Wisconsin, just 3 miles (4.8 km) west-southwest of Ringle, and just south of Martin Road. The tornado tracked northeastward, crossing Martin Road before turning more to the north and snapping hundreds of trees as it crossed WIS 29.[4] The tornado crossed Ringle Road and tracked along the Eau Claire River, producing EF1 damage to trees before entering more residential areas in the northwest portions of Ringle. The tornado inflicted EF1 damage to a home before crossing Blue Anchor Drive and producing significant damage to various homes and trees along Sattler Lane and Abbey Street. In this area, three residences and numerous trees sustained low-end EF3 damage, with the roofs, exterior walls, and some interior walls of the homes being mostly removed and the trees being snapped at the base. The nearby Riverside Elementary School sustained EF1 damage to its roof.[4][58][59]
The tornado curved more to the northeast, passing just east of the Abbey Street/River Road intersection before inflicting EF1–EF2 damage to various homes and outbuildings along Happy Trails Lane and Timber Crest Drive. A large recreational vehicle was rolled onto its roof, and nearby trees sustained significant damage. The tornado continued northeastward, completely demolishing several outbuildings and damaging the roofs of homes as it approached and crossed Club House Road. The tornado inflicted EF1 damage to trees as it followed the Eau Claire River, before sharply turning more eastward as it crossed River Road. The tornado made another turn to the northeast after crossing County Road Q, before once again turning more eastward after crossing County Road N. The tornado continued through rural fields before dissipating at 5:03 p.m. CDT, 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Hogarty. The tornado reached a maximum width of 600 yards (550 m) and tracked for 13.53 miles (21.77 km).[4][58]
The tornado impacted around 75 homes along its track, with dozens sustaining significant damage. It was the first EF3 tornado to impact the area since a tornado struck the city of Merrill in 2011. Despite the damage sustained, no fatalities or injuries were attributed to the tornado.[58][60]
Non-tornadic effects
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, flooding occurred near I-94 and Mitchell Boulevard on April 17, prompting the closure of an eastbound I-94 exit ramp near American Family Field.[61] The Fox River overflowed in Burlington, flooding streets and basements on April 18.[62] In the New London area, the Wolf River broke its previous record from 1979, cresting at 12.12 ft (3.69 m) on April 18.[63] About 1,800 people were told to evacuate in parts of Weyauwega, Fremont, and New London.[64]
Aftermath
See also
Notes
- All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.