RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The National Weather Service has confirmed six tornadoes hit the Chicago area in Tuesday's storms, raising the state total to a record-breaking 206 twisters this year.
The tornadoes touched down in Homewood, Oswego, Wilmington, Mokena to Tinley Park, Orland Park to Munster, Indiana, and Monee to St. John, Indiana.
The weather service Thursday evening confirmed an EF1 tornado in Homewood, with winds between 86 and 110 mph. The twister began near Halsted Street, between 183rd and 187th streets, damaging a strip mall and several apartment buildings. It ended east of Illinois Route 394 south of Thornton-Lansing Road.
The worst of the tornadoes hit Monee and St. John, with wind speeds peaking around 115 mph, according to the weather service.
That twister was an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which rates the strength and related damage for tornadoes. Of the remaining five, four were classified as EF1 and one was EF0, officials said. An EF5 is the highest rating.
More than eight months into 2026, Illinois has already broken the record for most tornadoes recorded in a single year, shattering the previous record of 142 in 2024.
The total may climb with more severe weather forecast for central Illinois. A severe thunderstorm watch with conditions that may spawn a couple of tornadoes was in effect for Kankakee, Bloomington and Champaign among other areas, according to the weather service.
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