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EF2 tornado in McDonough County, Illinois

Tornado April 17, 2026 · McDonough County, Illinois

EF2
Rating
6.0 mi
Path length
200 yd
Path width
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 200 yards (0.11 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The tornado began about 3.5 miles northeast of Industry where it did some tree damage followed by snapping of 7 power poles along N 600th Rd. It progressed east between N 600th Rd and N 500th Rd as it produced tree and significant outbuilding damage. The tornado then turned northeast where it did significant tree damage, producing wind speeds around 115 mph. It then crossed into Fulton County along Waters Rd and did roof damage to a home along with more extensive tree damage, snapping off large trees, and destroying a machine shed. It also destroyed a newer grain bin as it moved to the northeast. As it continued to the northeast it likely merged with a newer tornado that came from the south.

The wider storm

Numerous severe storms tracked across eastern IA, northwest IL, and northeast MO during the afternoon and evening of April 17. Widespread wind gusts between 60-80 mph (isolated 80-100 mph), large hail up to teacup size, and several tornadoes were reported.

The most significant damage occurred in Lena, IL where many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees uprooted, and power lines downed by an EF2 tornado. Very strong straight-line winds also were documented in parts of the area.

Began near Pennington Pt (40.3640, -90.5620).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

7 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1330584. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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