Tornadoes rip through Indiana, Illinois
Tornadoes struck Indiana and Illinois on Thursday, damaging homes and businesses in parts of the two states.In Bloomington, Indiana, tornado damage was reported at the Monroe County Airport fence, several homes on Fieldstone Boulevard, a Fifth Third Bank on West Third Street, and an auto dealership where a warehouse roof landed on cars, News 8 reported.In east-central Illinois, a large and dangerous tornado was reported near Flat Rock and Robinson in Crawford County at approximately 4:25 p.m. CST, with officials warning of potential significant damage, according to Fox Weather.The outlet noted reports of destroyed homes and trapped occupants in the county.The National Weather Service (NWS) Lincoln, Illinois office reposted images of a tornado and damage west of Flat Rock captured Thursday afternoon.The National Weather Service in Indianapolis issued a tornado warning for central Monroe County, with a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado moving near Bloomington, according to Fox Weather.Rolling storm coverage by the IndyStar included a rolled mobile home with occupants trapped in Crawford County, Illinois, as well as three houses missing roofs. Tornado watches covered parts of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, with the Storm Prediction Center outlining a Level 3, out of 5, severe threat that included potential EF-2 or stronger tornadoes.Bloomington damage included roof impacts to at least three homes on Fieldstone Boulevard just east of the Monroe County Airport, downed power lines along Airport Road and West Third Street, and outages affecting more than 2,000 customers by 9:35 p.m., according to News 8.Photos captured by a News 8 meteorologist showed damage to the Fifth Third Bank at 3415 W. Third St. in the Whitehall Plaza area near the Interstate 69 interchange, while a warehouse roof reportedly landed on vehicles at a Kia dealership.Sullivan County in southwestern Indiana reported downed trees and utility poles in Carlisle and Paxton, as well as trees falling on cars and homes, according to News 8, citing the county’s emergency management director."NWS Storm Survey teams are expected to investigate damage in Sullivan and Monroe counties today," NWS Indianapolis said in a Friday morning update. "Additional areas may be surveyed as more damage information is received."As of Friday morning, wind advisories from the NWS are in place across the northern halves of the two states, with the agency warning that gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, cause tree damage, and result in some power outages.Update 02/20/2026, 5:10 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Comments (0)