Illinois Leads U.S. In Severe Weather So Far This Year And It’s Not Even Close

Straight into tornado season we go.

If you've lived in the Midwest or the South, you're probably no stranger to tornadoes. Especially in the spring and summer.

Sometimes we just sit on our porches and watch the tornado go by. Other times, it's headed straight for us (which isn't fun, can confirm) and that's when we should probably go inside for a few minutes.

It's April and we've already had pockets of severe weather. In fact, according to NBC Chicago, Illinois is leading the state in it.

It depends on who you ask as to whether or not Illinois is actually considered to be in tornado alley.

So far in 2026, Illinois has had over 300 storm reports: 130 of them for wind damage, 115 for hail, and 59 for tornadoes.

Only Alabama and Georgia have more wind damage reports and both Illinois and Mississippi account for one-third of tornadoes in the U.S. so far this year. Alabama and Ohio rank 2nd and 3rd respectively in the number of severe weather reports so far this year.

It could be a nasty season. Already, through the first week of April, numbers show that the whole country has had 313 tornadoes, which is about 21 over the 15-year average.

According to NOAA, peak tornado season is considered to be May into early June. We all know how keenly unpredictable Midwest weather is so the real answer is one nobody knows.

If you're in the QCA, our friends at KWQC are the best live TV option when this sketchy weather comes around this summer.