Tornadoes spotted in Illinois as powerful storm system blasts through Midwest

Power knocked out, damage reported after sever weather tears across Great Lakes

Damage has been reported in Illinois and Indiana after severe weather tore across the region on Wednesday, March 19. FOX Weather Meteorologists Britta Merwin and Craig Herrera break down the latest.

CHICAGO – Communities from the Midwest to the Great Lakes region are picking up the pieces after severe weather barreled across the region on Wednesday.

The severe weather that broke out was from the same storm system that blasted the Plains with blizzard conditions earlier in the day but wasn’t nearly as extensive as a deadly tornado outbreak across America’s Heartland and South last weekend.

Cities like Chicago and Indianapolis, as well as surrounding communities, were among those at risk of extreme weather. In total, around 100 severe weather reports were provided to the National Weather Service from six states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee.

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A tornado in Stafford, Illinois seen by FOX Weather's Brandon Copic on March 19, 2025. 

(FOX Weather)

The city of Gary, Indiana, saw significant damage as storms rolled through the community Wednesday afternoon.

In a Facebook post, city officials said residents reported seeing a funnel cloud during the storms.

"Multiple homes and businesses have reported significant wind damage, with flooding as well as numerous trees and limbs down throughout the affected area," officials said in the Facebook post. "Emergency response teams are on-site, actively assisting residents who have been impacted by the storm."

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Hail caught on video around Chicago

Hail stones were spotted throughout Illinois on Wednesday afternoon and evening, as storms triggered severe weather alerts.

The FOX Forecast Center said that indicators such as "dirty rain" and the sighting of several "gustnadoes" suggested that the day was not shaping up to be a record-breaking event. However, that did not stop reports of severe weather from pouring in.

"Gustnadoes" are simply swirls of dust from strong winds that race out ahead of a thunderstorm's intense downdraft but can produce damage that is equivalent to a bonafide EF-0 or EF-1 twister.

FOX Weather Exclusive Storm Tracker Brandon Copic spotted one of the many vortexes near Stanford, Illinois, on Wednesday afternoon as a line of tornado-warned storms charged across the state southeast of Peoria.

Areas such as around Hammond, Indiana, and Chicago Heights, Illinois, were even put under a Tornado Warning for what was a radar-indicated tornado.

BUZZWORDS YOU COULD HEAR DURING SEVERE WEATHER

Hear it: Thundersnow, blizzard conditions blast Nebraska

A video complication from March 19 shows snow, wind and thundersnow in Nebraska during a winter storm. 

The first round of extreme weather developed earlier on Wednesday across portions of Nebraska and Iowa, bringing snow, blizzard conditions and even thundersnow.

Power outages were rising throughout the day in Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa as blizzard conditions continued into Wednesday night. A 74-mph wind gust was reported in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Hail even accumulated along Interstate 72, with several crashes reported as the ice pellets covered roadways, as if they had been through a blizzard.

National Weather Service offices across Illinois received reports of hail the size of pennies and quarters falling, which coated some grassy areas.