Multiple Tornadoes Strike Illinois and Indiana, With EF3 Near Kouts Destroying Homes
Multiple tornadoes struck northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana on June 11, 2026. Damage surveys by the National Weather Service office in Chicago documented the day's tornado tracks one by one, with the strongest reaching peak EF3 intensity north of Kouts in Porter County, Indiana, where several homes were destroyed.
According to the survey, the Kouts tornado first touched down in rural Lake County east of Interstate 65 and tracked northeast into southern Porter County, growing in size and intensity after crossing U.S. Highway 231. From just north of Kouts to just west of the Porter and LaPorte county line, it reached its peak intensity of EF3: several homes were destroyed, two separate sets of high-tension power trusses were sheared apart and collapsed, and there was significant scouring of the ground and damage to crops. The tornado weakened as it crossed into LaPorte County and dissipated after damaging trees and residences along S 1050 W Road.
Another strong tornado that day peaked on the southeast side of Streator, near the Livingston and La Salle county line in Illinois, where several houses along Sunbury Drive were heavily damaged and at one residence only the innermost walls were left standing. The Weather Service rated the damage in that area consistent with EF3 winds of around 145 miles per hour. The tornado then turned nearly due north, causing EF2-caliber damage to several residences along E 19th Road before lifting.
The Chicago office also documented tornadoes that day including Osage Township, Rowe-Dwight, Merrillville-Hobart and Cedar Lake, with damage mostly to trees, roofs and farm buildings. The Weather Service advises people entering affected areas to avoid downed power infrastructure and unstable debris, and notes that official damage totals rest with local emergency management agencies.
Source: National Weather Service
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：印第安纳州波特县 Kouts 附近一栋单层住宅被高端EF3龙卷完全摧毁，只剩地基与楼梯（本事件灾调照片，画面遮挡为原图隐私处理）。美国国家气象局芝加哥办公室摄，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A single-story home near Kouts in Porter County, Indiana, completely destroyed by a high-end EF3 tornado, with only the foundation and stairs remaining (survey photo of this event; black boxes are privacy redactions in the original). Photo by the National Weather Service Chicago, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
