The state of Illinois has already seen more tornado reports than it has in any year since records began, while “tornado alley” states are lagging behind this year in the annual tornado tally.
Illinois Leads the Nation in Tornado Reports for 2026
As AccuWeather reports, Illinois has led the nation in preliminary tornado reports for most of 2026, and after five were tallied during a severe weather outbreak on Wednesday, the state has surpassed its record for the most in a year. And it’s only June.
There have been 164 tornado reports in Illinois as of June 18, according to data from NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC). The large number is mostly due to tornado outbreaks in March, April and June. Illinois had only one tornado report in May.
Mississippi has the second-highest tornado count so far in 2026, with 82 tornadoes, exactly half of Illinois’ total.
Bucking the Historical Average
This trend bucks the historical average. Typically, by the end of June, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas — classic “Tornado Alley” — would be at the top of the charts for tornado reports. Illinois would typically have only 45 reports, or 119 fewer than this year.
“The dynamics this year have favored Illinois, with storms staying to the north of Texas and Oklahoma,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Peyton Simmers said. “Additionally, the drought in the western U.S. had sent a lot of warm air aloft across Texas and Oklahoma, which has helped to limit the overall severe weather across the South.”
Illinois is also near the top of the chart for high wind reports, which include automated wind gust data from weather stations. The state has 600 wind reports so far this year, just below Kansas’ 608 reports.
Three EF3 tornadoes have been reported in the state this year. The strongest was one that traveled 35.6 miles with winds as high as 160 mph, causing major damage from Kankakee, Illinois, to Roselawn, Indiana, on March 10.
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