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NWS Confirms Record Five Tornadoes Hit Chicago Area

8/14/2026

Summary

Chicago Tornadoes

The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes hit the Chicago area on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2026, setting a record and raising Illinois’s 2026 total to 205, above the 2024 total of 142.
Surveyors rated the Monee-to-St. John tornado EF-2, three others as EF-1 and one as EF-0.
More than 127,000 customers lost power Wednesday, while one person died in a Portage, Indiana structure fire after hazardous weather delayed response.

Summary

DeWine Declares Emergency

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in two eastern counties and sent 40 National Guard members for flood searches and evacuations.
Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) said about 258,885 homes and businesses—roughly 55% of customers—lost power and restoration could take days.
Duke Energy is deploying 1,000 workers to restore power for over 171,000 customers in the greater Cincinnati area, working with contractors in Ohio and Kentucky.

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Chicago Tornadoes

The National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes hit the Chicago area on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2026, setting a record and raising Illinois’s 2026 total to 205, above the 2024 total of 142.
Surveyors rated the Monee-to-St. John tornado EF-2, three others as EF-1 and one as EF-0.
More than 127,000 customers lost power Wednesday, while one person died in a Portage, Indiana structure fire after hazardous weather delayed response.

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