EF3 tornado, Beecher City to Hunt City, Illinois, June 17, 2026

1. EF065 to 85 mph

   Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

2. EF186 to 110 mph

   Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

3. EF2111 to 135 mph

   Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

4. EF3136 to 165 mphthis tornado

   Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

5. EF4166 to 200 mph

   Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

6. EF5over 200 mph

   Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

7. Unrated

   The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Rating, as surveyed

EF3, preliminary

Date

June 17, 2026

Touchdown

7:56 PM CDT (00:56 UTC)

Lifted

8:34 PM CDT (01:34 UTC)

On the ground

38 minutes

Path length

31.9 miles (51.3 km)

Path width

500 yards (457 m)

Deaths

0

Injuries

2

Counties

Effingham and Jasper counties

Touchdown point

39.190, -88.797

Lift-off point

39.098, -88.223

Highest wind the damage implies

150 mph

Surveyed by

NWS ILX

The office's name for it

Effingham Tornado

Survey last edited

July 3, 2026

Record number

None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.

Originating in Beecher City within Effingham County, the tornado first touched down along E State Highway 33. The storm's initial path spanned approximately one-quarter mile in width, resulting in EF0 and EF1 level damage. This impact was characterized by the snapping and uprooting of large trees, alongside sporadic damage to grain silos and farm out-buildings, with notable effects observed near N 300th St on the outskirts of Beecher City.

Moving eastward through Shumway, the tornado crossed State Highway 32 and proceeded parallel to E 1800th Ave. Although the path width constricted to just over one-tenth of a mile, the storm intensified, producing EF-2 level damage. The increased strength resulted in hardwood and softwood tree trunks being snapped approximately two-thirds of the way up. Additionally, the tornado caused significant structural destruction, including the removal of a roof from a single-family home and the collapse of several farm outbuildings.

Upon reaching the northern outskirts of rural Effingham, the tornado intensified to EF-3 status as it traveled along E 1800th Ave. During this stage, the storm produced peak wind speeds estimated at 145 mph, leading to severe tree damage and the total destruction of one single-family home, which suffered complete exterior wall collapses.

Continuing its path along Effingham's northern perimeter, the EF-3 tornado maintained a width of one-tenth to one-quarter mile. Substantial structural damage occurred at a farmstead on E 1680th Ave, where several large outbuildings were demolished and a single-family home suffered a total roof uplift alongside partial exterior wall failure. Upon entering Effingham city limits and crossing US HWY 45, the storm destroyed a substantial metal building system after an X-brace failed on its eastern side. Nearby properties sustained further structural and severe tree damage, and the force of the winds threw a delivery van approximately 150 yards to the east.

After departing Effingham, the tornado tracked southeastward and broadened to a width of approximately one-third of a mile. As the storm crossed Interstate 70, it inflicted major damage to trees and caused total roof uplift at multiple single-family homes. The tornado then proceeded across the northern and eastern parts of Teutopolis, where it caused extensive structural destruction to a farmstead located near the HWY 40 and N 1950th St intersection. Impacts at this location included the complete destruction of several large barns and outbuildings, as well as the total uplift of a single-residence roof. The tornadic storm maintained its EF-3 intensity as it moved eastward into rural Teutopolis, though its path narrowed to roughly one-tenth of a mile. Near the intersection of N 2100th St and E 1500th Ave, the storm produced peak wind speeds of 140 mph, resulting in the destruction of two single-family homes and significant damage to trees and outbuildings. Multiple non-life-threatening injuries were reported in this area.

As the tornado moved across the Effingham-Jasper county line, it continued on a southeastward trajectory while weakening to EF-2 intensity. With estimated wind speeds of approximately 120 mph, the storm caused moderate damage to outbuildings and trees, along with minor structural impacts to single-family residences.

The tornado continued to the southeast where it caused major roof damage to a two-story house, rolled an SUV, damaged an outbuilding, and snapped several large hardwood trees. Moving southeast toward E 1700th Ave, the storm snapped the top of another large hardwood and stripped shingles from a single-story residence, with further tree damage reported just north of that location. East of N 700th St, more tree damage occurred alongside shingle damage to a mobile home. As the tornado tracked further along E 1700th Ave, it damaged another outbuilding, two grain bins and additional trees before finally lifting approximately 0.25 miles east of N 800th St.

A special thanks is extended to Effingham County EMA for their assistance in supplying geo-referenced data for severely damaged buildings. We also wish to recognize the local agricultural community along E 1800th Ave in rural Effingham; their willingness to provide transportation was essential for navigating a section of the path obstructed by active utility restoration efforts.

Written by NWS ILX in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.

123 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS ILX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EFU. The highest wind the damage implies is 150 mph.

• Cargo/utility van tossed/rolled about 100yds.
• House not anchored well. Debris pushed onto road. One minor injury.
• Trunks snapped quarter mile south
• Empty small grain silo came from farm to northwest.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

Several rounds of significant convection impacted central Illinois on June 17th, 2026. Clusters of thunderstorms initially formed on the nose of a strong low-level jet streak across Iowa during the pre-dawn hours, then tracked southeastward along a warm frontal boundary into central Illinois through midday. Scattered damaging wind gusts were reported in north-central Illinois, with the most concentrated corridor of 60-70 mph winds focused along a Galesburg, to Peoria, to Chenoa line.||Thunderstorms re-developed along a remnant outflow boundary from the morning convection by mid to late afternoon, with the most intense cells materializing along and south of a Springfield to Paris line where several tornadoes occurred and hail larger than baseballs (3 diameter) was reported across portions of Moultrie, Douglas, and Coles counties. An EF2 tornado impacted the Mattoon to Charleston area, and an EF3 tracked just north of Effingham.

Originating in Beecher City within Effingham County, the tornado|first touched down along E State Highway 33 at 7:56PM CDT. The storm's initial|path spanned approximately one-quarter mile in width, resulting|in EF0 and EF1 level damage. This impact was characterized by the|snapping and uprooting of large trees, alongside sporadic damage|to grain silos and farm out-buildings, with notable effects|observed near N 300th St on the outskirts of Beecher City.||Moving eastward through Shumway, the tornado crossed State |Highway 32 and proceeded parallel to E 1800th Ave. Although the |path width constricted to just over one-tenth of a mile, the storm|intensified, producing EF-2 level damage. The increased strength |resulted in hardwood and softwood tree trunks being snapped |approximately two-thirds of the way up. Additionally, the tornado |caused significant structural destruction, including the removal |of a roof from a single-family home and the collapse of several |farm outbuildings.||Upon reaching the northern outskirts of rural Effingham, the |tornado intensified to EF-3 status as it traveled along E 1800th |Ave. During this stage, the storm produced peak wind speeds |estimated at 145 mph, leading to severe tree damage and the total |destruction of one single-family home, which suffered complete |exterior wall collapses.||Continuing its path along Effingham's northern perimeter, the |EF-3 tornado maintained a width of one- tenth to one-quarter mile.|Substantial structural damage occurred at a farmstead on E 1680th|Ave, where several large outbuildings were demolished and a |single-family home suffered a total roof uplift alongside partial |exterior wall failure. Upon entering Effingham city limits and |crossing US HWY 45, the storm destroyed a substantial metal |building system after an X-brace failed on its eastern side. |Nearby properties sustained further structural and severe tree |damage, and the force of the winds threw a delivery van |approximately 150 yards to the east.||After departing Effingham, the tornado tracked southeastward and |broadened to a width of approximately one-third of a mile. As the |storm crossed Interstate 70, it inflicted major damage to trees |and caused total roof uplift at multiple single- family homes. The|tornado then proceeded across the northern and eastern parts of |Teutopolis, where it caused extensive structural destruction to a |farmstead located near the HWY 40 and N 1950th St intersection. |Impacts at this location included the complete destruction of |several large barns and outbuildings, as well as the total uplift |of a single- residence roof. The tornadic storm maintained its |EF-3 intensity as it moved eastward into rural Teutopolis, though |its path narrowed to roughly one-tenth of a mile. Near the |intersection of N 2100th St and E 1500th Ave, the storm produced |peak wind speeds of 140 mph, resulting in the destruction of two |single-family homes and significant damage to trees and |outbuildings. Multiple non-life-threatening injuries were reported|in this area. The tornado continued east-southeastward and crossed into western Jasper County along E 1400th Ave at 8:26PM CDT.

As the tornado moved across the Effingham-Jasper county line at the intersection of N 2400th St and E 1400th Ave, it continued on a southeastward trajectory while weakening to EF-2 intensity. With estimated wind speeds of approximately 120 mph, |the storm caused moderate damage to outbuildings and trees, along with minor structural impacts to single-family residences. The tornado continued to the southeast where it caused major roof damage to a two-story house, rolled an SUV, damaged an outbuilding, and snapped several large hardwood trees. Moving southeast toward |E 1700th Ave, the storm snapped the top of another large hardwood |and stripped shingles from a single-story residence, with further |tree damage reported just north of that location. East of N 700th |St, more tree damage occurred alongside shingle damage to a mobile |home. As the tornado tracked further along E 1700th Ave, it damaged |another outbuilding, two grain bins and additional trees before |finally lifting approximately 0.25 miles east of N 800th St.

A trained spotter and storm chaser shared video of a brief tornado about 3 miles southeast of Rose Hill. There was no damage noted in this rural part of the county.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

5 minutes of warning. NWS ILX issued a tornado warning for this county at 00:51 UTC, 5 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 01:30 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 19:15 UTC and running to 06:00 UTC.

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 20:04 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

The live radar over the trackEvery 2026 tornado in IllinoisEvery tornado in Illinois since 1950Warnings in force in Illinois nowThe forecast where you are

27 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. A survey can be revised, so the rating, the path and the casualties can all still change.

NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit, the record the survey teams file from the damage, and NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Neither is the official database for 2026, which SPC publishes in the spring of 2027.