THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE ARTICLE BY JANA WIERSEMA

ABOVE: A funnel-shaped cloud could be seen above Interstate 74 in Tilton on June 11 (photo by Bill Pickett)

149

Tornadoes for Illinois so far in 2026.

The figure marks a state record for a calendar year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Erwin. He expects this number to increase as surveys are completed on Sunday’s inclement weather; these surveys will take about two to three more days to finalize.

39

Tornadoes in the land of Lincoln over the last two weeks

According to Erwin, this includes 7 tornadoes on June 10, 22 on June 11 and 10 on June 17.

Central Illinois in particular saw 12 tornadoes during the first two-day event and another seven the following week, according to the NWS Lincoln office.

One

Number of people injured when an EF2 tornado in the Charleston-Mattoon area flipped a semi on June 17, according to NWS.

Further south, an EF3 tornado in the Effingham area with a 25.9-mile track length caused “multiple non-life-threatening injuries.”