Tornadoes · United States · Illinois · 2026
EF0 tornado, Stoy, Illinois, June 27, 2026
This EF0 tornado ran 0.5 miles across Crawford County on June 27, 2026, touching down at 2:00 PM CDT and reaching 30 yards wide. It killed nobody.
Preliminary. This is NWS ILX's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Stoy Tornado. 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 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
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
- EF0, preliminary
- Date
- June 27, 2026
- Touchdown
- 2:00 PM CDT (19:00 UTC)
- Lifted
- 2:01 PM CDT (19:01 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
- Path width
- 30 yards (27 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Crawford County
- Touchdown point
- 39.002, -87.833
- Lift-off point
- 39.002, -87.823
- Highest wind the damage implies
- 75 mph
- Surveyed by
- NWS ILX
- The office's name for it
- Stoy Tornado
- Survey last edited
- July 1, 2026
- Record number
- None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.
What the survey found
Spotters provided video of a tornado touching down in the vicinity of Stoy IL near the intersection of IL 33 and North 600th Street. They provided images of some minor tree damage. The tree limbs were several inches in diameter.
Written by NWS ILX in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.
The damage survey
2 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS ILX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 70 mph.
- Photos of tree damage by a couple of homes near Stoy
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
Scattered thunderstorms developed along an outflow boundary and north of a warm front during the afternoon of June 27th. Storms were most numerous south of I-70. One brief tornado touched down in Crawford County while several funnel clouds occurred further north along the outflow boundary. Pockets of heavy rain led to a few flash flood reports, with the most significant in Charleston in Coles County.
Trained spotters provided video of a tornado touching down just north of Stoy, near the intersection of IL-33 and North 600th Street. They provided images of damage to tree branches that were several inches in diameter.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jun 27, 12:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- A marginal risk of severe thunderstorms and localized heavy rainfall exists south of Interstate 70 this afternoon, while a stalled front south of Interstate 72 presents a risk for funnel clouds.
- An extended period of dangerous heat and humidity begins Sunday, with a Heat Advisory active and likely requiring extensions through much of the upcoming workweek.
- Dry conditions dominate through midweek before thunderstorm chances return late next week.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 27, 12:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1254 PM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A marginal risk of severe thunderstorms and localized heavy rainfall exists south of Interstate 70 this afternoon, while a stalled front south of Interstate 72 presents a risk for funnel clouds. - An extended period of dangerous heat and humidity begins Sunday, with a Heat Advisory active and likely requiring extensions through much of the upcoming workweek. - Dry conditions dominate through midweek before thunderstorm chances return late next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1254 PM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 Current surface analysis reveals a weak, stalled frontal boundary positioned just south of the Interstate 72 corridor. High-resolution convective guidance indicates an environment characterized by localized low-level vorticity and weak vertical shear along this boundary. The Non-Supercell Tornado Parameter (NSTP) highlights values between 2 and 4, which justifies a mention of funnel clouds stretched along a Jacksonville to Paris corridor through this afternoon (see recently issued Special Weather Statement). In fact, a brief funnel was reported at noon south of Decatur. If enough cloud breaks can be sustained, an increase in low level lapse rates paired with low LCLs would make a few landspout tornadoes possible, though higher boundary layer friction due to crop height make this less likely than a month or two ago. South of the Interstate 70 corridor, a more unstable airmass is present, characterized by mid-upper 70s dewpoints and MLCAPE values near 2000 J/kg. Effective bulk shear remains low at 25 kt or less, making organized/widespread severe weather unlikely. The Storm Prediction Center has placed this southern tier under a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms into early evening. Convective elements within this zone are capable of producing isolated damaging wind gusts due to precip loading and torrential rainfall. HREF hourly probability fields show a 40% chance of localized rainfall amounts exceeding 1 inch, which raises the potential for isolated/localized flash flooding Sunday morning, a warm front swings north across the CWA, bringing a low (20-30%) chance of an isolated shower or storm. Behind the front, winds veer southeast to south through afternoon and upper-level heights rise rapidly as a sub- tropical ridge expands northward from the Gulf Coast. NBM guidance indicates high temperatures climbing into the lower 90s over the southwest half of the CWA. Paired with high ambient humidity, heat index values are projected to exceed 100 degrees across much of the forecast area, with values up to 105 degrees in southeast and west central Illinois. A Heat Advisory goes into effect Sunday afternoon southwest of a Peoria to Robinson line to address these conditions. An intense and prolonged heat wave will dominate the weather pattern across central and southeast Illinois through midweek. Strong multi-model consensus among the GEFS and ECMWF ensembles shows a core 594 dam ridge anchoring over the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. The ECMWF Extreme Forecast Index (EFI) highlights values between 0.8 and 0.9 for maximum temperatures Monday through Wednesday, signifying that the magnitude of this heat event is unusual in a climatological context for the end of June. Furthermore, given low-mid 70s forecast dewpoints, peak heat index values exceeding 105 degrees are likely during this timeframe. High confidence exists regarding the severity and medium confidence in the longevity of this heat event, and the Heat Advisory will likely require extension through at least Wednesday for the entire CWA. A forecast challenge emerges late week regarding the breakdown of the ridge and the return of precipitation. Notable disagreements exist among medium range ensemble guidance. The GFS presents a faster and more progressive upper-level trough shifting across the Northern Plains by Thursday, which acts to suppress the ridge and introduce thunderstorm chances ahead of a cold front. In contrast, the ECMWF Ens/ECMWF-AI maintain a stronger ridge over the eastern United States, holding precipitation chances at bay until Friday or Saturday. Due to these discrepancies, confidence is below normal regarding the exact timing of storm chances late next week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1157 AM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 Current batch of IFR ceiling over central IL is forecast to lift into MVFR category early this afternoon, then above the MVFR threshold late afternoon. However, IFR ceilings are forecast to redevelop overnight near a slow moving boundary along the I-72 corridor, then expand north over all central IL terminals. These ceilings should improve by late morning as a warm front lifts across the area. A few SHRA/TSRA could accompany the front, however coverage is too low to include in TAFs at this point. Winds will generally be light easterly through tonight, then firming from the southeast around 10 kt by late morning. && .ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Heat Advisory from 1 PM to 7 PM CDT Sunday for ILZ027>029-036- 037-040>042-047>054-061-062-066>068-071>073. && KEY MESSAGES...25 DISCUSSION...25 AVIATION...25
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 27, 11:42 AM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1142 AM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 ILZ030-031-038-043>046-055>057-063-281645- Marshall-Woodford-McLean-De Witt-Piatt-Champaign-Vermilion-Douglas- Coles-Edgar-Clark- 1142 AM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois and east central Illinois. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. There is a 30% chance for isolated thunderstorms today and tonight. The primary hazards with any such activity will be brief heavy rainfall, cloud-to-ground lightning, and gusty thunderstorm winds up to 60 mph. Residual flooding along the Illinois River will persist. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Dangerous heat will span from Monday through Friday with daily temperatures forecast to reach the lower 90s and heat index values up to 105 degrees. The prolonged period of the heat and the fact that warm nighttime temperatures will offer limited relief make this a potentially dangerous situation. Residual flooding along the Illinois River will persist. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. ILZ027>029-036-037-040>042-047>054-061-062-066>068-071>073-281645- Knox-Stark-Peoria-Fulton-Tazewell-Schuyler-Mason-Logan-Cass-Menard- Scott-Morgan-Sangamon-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Shelby-Cumberland- Effingham-Jasper-Crawford-Clay-Richland-Lawrence- 1142 AM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Illinois, east central Illinois, southeast Illinois and west central Illinois. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. There is a 30% chance for isolated thunderstorms today and tonight. The primary hazards with any such activity will be brief heavy rainfall, cloud-to-ground lightning, and gusty thunderstorm winds up to 60 mph. Residual flooding along the Embarras and Little Wabash rivers will persist. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Dangerous heat will span from Sunday through Friday with daily temperatures forecast to reach the lower 90s and heat index values up to 105 degrees. The prolonged period of the heat and the fact that warm nighttime temperatures will offer limited relief make this a potentially dangerous situation. Residual flooding along the Embarras and Little Wabash rivers will persist. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated through tonight. MJA
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 12:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1231 PM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 ILZ049>057-061>063-280000- Scott-Morgan-Sangamon-Christian-Macon-Moultrie-Douglas-Coles-Edgar- Shelby-Cumberland-Clark- Including the cities of Winchester, Jacksonville, Springfield, Taylorville, Decatur, Sullivan, Tuscola, Charleston, Mattoon, Paris, Shelbyville, Greenup, and Marshall 1231 PM CDT Sat Jun 27 2026 ...FUNNEL CLOUDS SIGHTED OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS... Atmospheric conditions exist that favor the possible formation of weak circulations along a pre-existing boundary. Some of these circulations are occurring underneath developing showers and thunderstorms, where a funnel cloud may develop. Once the rain begins, the funnel cloud usually dissipates. Low hanging clouds can also appear to dip up and down at times, but they will not show signs of any rapid rotation. An actual funnel cloud will exhibit spinning in a counter-clockwise direction. In rare instances these funnels may briefly touch down. Stay alert and be prepared to move to a safe shelter if a funnel cloud approaches the ground. MJA
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
7.0 hours before the tornado, 144 km from the path. June 27, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 255 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -49 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 464 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 22 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 12 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 123 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 160 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.5
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.9 K/km
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z
5.0 hours after it, 144 km from the path. June 28, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 30 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -85 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 984 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 681 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 43 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.0 K/km
The surface observations
Robinson (RSV), 15 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:02 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.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2026 tornado in IllinoisEvery tornado in Illinois since 1950Warnings in force in Illinois nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 27, 2026
5 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.
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.