Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2026

EF1 tornado, Wayne County, Illinois, June 21, 2026

Name: EF1 tornado, Wayne County, Illinois, June 21, 2026
Start: 2026-06-21T22:47:00.000Z
End: 2026-06-21T22:51:00.000Z
Location: Wayne County, Illinois

This EF1 tornado ran 1.5 miles across Wayne County on June 21, 2026, touching down at 5:47 PM CDT and reaching 75 yards wide. It killed nobody.

Preliminary. This is NWS PAH's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Sims, IL. The rating, the path and the casualties are the survey's and can change while it is revised. The Storm Prediction Center compiles the official record of 2026 from these surveys and publishes it in the spring of 2027; this page moves to that tornado's permanent address when it does.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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.

The survey

Rating, as surveyed: EF1, preliminary
Date: June 21, 2026
Touchdown: 5:47 PM CDT (22:47 UTC)
Lifted: 5:51 PM CDT (22:51 UTC)
On the ground: 4 minutes
Path length: 1.5 miles (2.5 km)
Path width: 75 yards (69 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
County: Wayne County
Touchdown point: 38.413, -88.495
Lift-off point: 38.421, -88.469
Highest wind the damage implies: 95 mph
Surveyed by: NWS PAH
The office's name for it: Sims, IL
Survey last edited: June 23, 2026
Record number: None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.

What the survey found

An EF-1 tornado touched down 4 miles northeast of Sims near County Road 1100E. It moved and then flipped a shipping container, shifted a shed off its foundation, destroyed a 12x16 storage shed, and heavily damaged a barn. Otherwise numerous trees were uprooted or snapped along it's path. The tornado lifted north of County Road 1125 E about 5 miles northeast of Sims. Thank you to Wayne County EMA for assistance with the survey.

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

The damage survey

19 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS PAH, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 107 mph.

Shipping container moved and then flipped. Another shed nearby got slid off its foundation and another old barn was also heavily damaged along with several large limbs. Overhead photo courtesy of Wayne County EMA

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

The warnings

16 minutes of warning. NWS PAH issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:31 UTC, 16 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:15 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:29 UTC and running to 03:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)	Expired	Product	Office
18:00 UTC	12:00 UTC	Flood Watch	PAH
18:29 UTC	03:00 UTC	Tornado Watch	PAH
22:07 UTC	22:37 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH
22:31 UTC	23:15 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH
23:13 UTC	00:00 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH
23:15 UTC	23:32 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH
23:54 UTC	00:45 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH
00:39 UTC	01:06 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH
00:41 UTC	01:30 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH
00:44 UTC	03:45 UTC	Flood Advisory	PAH
00:58 UTC	07:00 UTC	Flash Flood Warning	PAH
01:28 UTC	01:46 UTC	Tornado Warning	PAH

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 forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:57 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 air that afternoon

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.

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z

10.8 hours before the tornado, 193 km from the path. June 21, 2026.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -96120 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1482 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 35 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0
0-3 km lapse rate: 3.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z

1.2 hours after it, 193 km from the path. June 22, 2026.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

Mixed-layer CAPE: 43 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -35 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 643 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 194 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 223 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0
0-3 km lapse rate: 5.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Fairfield (FWC), 7 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)	Weather
20:55 UTC	80	69	170° 15 kt	22	1007.1
21:15 UTC	80.6	69	170° 12 kt	18	1006.8
21:35 UTC	81.5	69.4	190° 17 kt	24	1006.8
21:55 UTC	81.5	69.6	190° 17 kt	20	1006.8
22:15 UTC	82.2	69.3	200° 16 kt	23	1006.4	VCTS
22:35 UTC	81	69.4	200° 11 kt	21	1006.4	VCTS
22:55 UTC	80.2	70	160° 6 kt	14	1005.8	TS
23:15 UTC	80	69	190° 10 kt	21	1006.8	VCTS
23:40 UTC			180° 8 kt		1006.4
23:55 UTC	79	69.4	190° 9 kt		1006.1
00:15 UTC	80.2	70	200° 11 kt	18	1006.1
00:35 UTC	80	70	200° 9 kt		1006.1	TS

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:49 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.

What was reported nearby

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

Time (UTC)	Report	Where	County	Remark
20:20 UTC	FUNNEL CLOUD	3 N Xenia	Clay, IL
20:30 UTC	TORNADO	2 Ssw Louisville	Clay, IL	EF1, max wind 100 mph, path length 4.58 miles, max width 200 yards The tornado was observed 2 miles south-southwest of Louisville just south of Grover Creek Ln. The tornado moved northeast entering the south side of town
20:34 UTC	TORNADO	Louisville	Clay, IL
20:47 UTC	TORNADO	3 W Ingraham	Clay, IL
21:22 UTC	TORNADO	2 S Kinmundy	Marion, IL	Storm chasers provided pictures of a tornado that dropped and quickly lifted south of Kinmundy, IL. A storm survey was completed in this area, but no damage was found, resulting in a rating of EF-U. This storm continued
21:31 UTC	TORNADO	2 Se Farina	Marion, IL	Corrects previous tornado report from 3 NNE Stephen Forbes Station. Corrects previous tornado report from 2 E Alma. Emergency manager reported a funnel. Passed along a report from firemen saying tornado on the ground hea
21:36 UTC	TORNADO	4 Se Farina	Marion, IL	NWS storm survey found very clear tornadic damage (EF-1) east of Kinmundy, with supporting video showing a multi-vortex tornado in that location.
21:38 UTC	TORNADO	2 E Alma	Marion, IL	Emergency manager reported a funnel. Passed along a report from firemen saying tornado on the ground headed east toward Forbes State Park.
21:38 UTC	TORNADO	3 Nne Stephen Forbes St	Marion, IL	Corrects previous tornado report from 2 E Alma. Emergency manager reported a funnel. Passed along a report from firemen saying tornado on the ground headed east toward Forbes State Park. likely looking west.
21:41 UTC	TORNADO	2 Nw Oskaloosa	Clay, IL
22:00 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	3 Nnw Farina	Fayette, IL	Flooding across IL185 from the west side of St Peter to Farina. Time estimated.
22:02 UTC	TORNADO	2 Sse Dix	Jefferson, IL	* 2 FATAL, 5 INJ * EF3 Tornado. Peak winds 140 mph. Track 13.8 miles. Several mobile homes destroyed. Severe tree damage, power poles snapped.
22:03 UTC	FUNNEL CLOUD	3 S Louisville	Clay, IL
22:07 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	5 Nw Bluford	Jefferson, IL	Extensive tree and power line damage. Some roof and structural damage. Possible tornado.
22:09 UTC	TORNADO	3 E Dix	Jefferson, IL	Photo submission of tornado on Facebook by Texico.
22:11 UTC	TORNADO	5 Ese Dix	Jefferson, IL	Tornado reported near Tolle Lane and Austin Road per Fire Department.
22:22 UTC	TORNADO	1 W Saint Peter	Fayette, IL	Brief tornado touchdown spotted from this location. circulation went near this spot.
22:22 UTC	TORNADO	1 W Saint Peter	Fayette, IL	Corrects previous tornado report from 1 W Saint Peter. Brief tornado touchdown spotted from this location. circulation went south of here.
22:53 UTC	TORNADO	2 Sse Claremont	Richland, IL	EF1, max wind 95 mph, path length 3.2 miles, max width 300 yards The tornado developed 3 miles to the southwest of Hadley. It traveled east through farmland, damaging many trees before lifting southeast of Hadley.
22:57 UTC	TORNADO	4 Nne Sims	Wayne, IL	EF1 Tornado. Peak winds 95 mph. Path Length 1.53 miles. Storage shed and barn damaged/destroyed. Tree damage.
23:03 UTC	TSTM WND GST 60	2 Wnw Xenia	Clay, IL
23:08 UTC	HAIL 1	1 Se Xenia	Clay, IL
23:21 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 N Sandoval	Marion, IL	An officer was blown off the road on Highway 51 north of Sandoval.
23:21 UTC	TORNADO	2 W Odin	Marion, IL	Report of tornado briefly on the ground.
23:26 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ese Sandoval	Marion, IL	Drone video showed scattered damage to tree limbs from RFD winds in the area.
23:41 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	4 Nne Stephen Forbes St	Marion, IL	Damage to a structure on Meacham Road.
23:48 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	Edgewood	Effingham, IL
00:07 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	6 Ne Bible Grove	Effingham, IL
00:11 UTC	TORNADO	2 E Jeffersonville	Wayne, IL	EF1 Tornado. 90 mph peak winds. 3.78 mile path. Carport destroyed, trees damaged. Severe crop damage.
00:28 UTC	TORNADO	5 Ssw Mount Erie	Wayne, IL	Social media report of a tornado north of Toms Prairie. This tornado was also spotted from Merriam.
00:38 UTC	FLASH FLOOD	Bible Grove	Clay, IL
00:41 UTC	TORNADO	2 S Wayne City	Wayne, IL	Brief tornado spotted south of Wayne City.
00:41 UTC	TORNADO	6 Nne Golden Gate	Edwards, IL	Tornado on the ground from a trained spotter.
00:42 UTC	TORNADO	2 Sse Wayne City	Wayne, IL	Tornado on the ground south of Wayne City, IL from photo report on X.
01:03 UTC	TORNADO	4 Nne Belle Prairie Cit	Wayne, IL	Tornado reported northeast of Belle Prairie City.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2026 tornado in Illinois Every tornado in Illinois since 1950 Warnings in force in Illinois now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 21, 2026

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

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
June 21	2:21 PM CDT	EF0	Saint Louis, MO	0.5	10
June 21	3:22 PM CDT	EF0	Shelby, IL	1.3	150
June 21	3:30 PM CDT	EF1	Clay, IL	7.4	200
June 21	3:35 PM CDT	Unrated	Tazewell, IL	0.2	0
June 21	3:43 PM CDT	EF1	Cumberland, IL	0.8	75
June 21	3:49 PM CDT	EF0	Fayette, IL	1.2	0
June 21	4:06 PM CDT	EF0	Cumberland, IL	6.4	350
June 21	4:07 PM CDT	EF2	Jasper, IL	3.7	250
June 21	4:15 PM CDT	EF2	Jasper, IL	2.7	300
June 21	4:22 PM CDT	Unrated	Marion, IL	1.3	0
June 21	4:31 PM CDT	EF1	Marion, IL	2.1	190
June 21	4:36 PM CDT	EF1	Crawford, IL	6.9	600
June 21	4:41 PM CDT	EF1	Crawford, IL	2.0	600
June 21	5:02 PM CDT	EF3	Jefferson, IL	15.3	400	2	5
June 21	6:22 PM EDT	EF1	Sullivan, IN	2.7	425
June 21	5:25 PM CDT	EF1	Lawrence, IL	4.4	300
June 21	5:27 PM CDT	EF0	Fayette, IL	3.4	25
June 21	5:53 PM CDT	EF1	Richland, IL	3.2	300
June 21	6:56 PM EDT	EF0	Owen, IN	0.9	25
June 21	7:00 PM EDT	EF0	Knox, IN	0.3	80
June 21	6:37 PM CDT	EF0	Wayne, IL	0.5	75
June 21	7:58 PM EDT	EF0	Martin, IN	2.0	50
June 21	7:02 PM CDT	EF2	Gibson, IN	11.5	300
June 21	7:11 PM CDT	EF1	Wayne, IL	3.8	50
June 21	8:12 PM EDT	EF0	Bartholomew, IN	0.5	85
June 21	7:27 PM CDT	Unrated	Christian, IL	0.1	0
June 21	7:38 PM CDT	EF1	Gibson, IN	1.5	25
June 21	7:52 PM CDT	EF1	Warrick, IN	1.0	50
June 21	7:52 PM CDT	EF0	Warrick, IN	0.3	50
June 21	7:57 PM CDT	EF0	Warrick, IN	1.0	25
June 21	8:00 PM CDT	EF0	Shannon, MO	2.7	200			$5
June 21	8:07 PM CDT	Unrated	Shelby, IL	0.1	20
June 21	8:15 PM CDT	EF1	Spencer, IN	0.3	125
June 21	9:50 PM EDT	EF1	Clark, IN	3.0	150
June 21	8:53 PM CDT	Unrated	White, IL	0.2	25
June 21	9:15 PM CDT	EF1	Warrick, IN	3.0	75		2
June 21	10:53 PM EDT	EF0	Harrison, IN	0.8	100
June 21	10:03 PM CDT	EF0	Spencer, IN	1.0	25
June 21	10:37 PM CDT	EF1	Warrick, IN	0.5	50
June 21	10:39 PM CDT	EF1	Warrick, IN	2.5	150
June 21	11:07 PM CDT	EF0	Breckinridge, KY	0.9	50
June 21	11:14 PM CDT	EF1	Breckinridge, KY	1.1	70
June 21	11:44 PM CDT	EF0	Hancock, KY	3.5	100

What this means

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.

Sources

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.