Two Dead in Lake Village, Indiana After Tornadoes Tear Through Midwest — Threat Now Shifts East
A violent tornado outbreak killed two people, destroyed dozens of homes, and triggered the first Tornado Emergency of 2026 Tuesday night across northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois. Recovery operations are underway in Lake Village, Indiana, and Kankakee, Illinois — and the severe weather threat is not finished.
Lake Village Takes a Direct Hit
The parent thunderstorm that produced tornadoes in northern Illinois and northern Indiana persisted for more than seven hours along a 200-mile path. It struck Lake Village just before 7 p.m. CT Tuesday.
The two people killed were identified as Ed and Arlene Kozlowski, aged 89 and 84, after a tornado struck their home on the 8000-block of 600 W. The Newton County Coroner's Office ruled their preliminary cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma, with an autopsy scheduled for Friday.
Indiana State Police Lowell Post Sgt. Glen Fifield said search teams examined 235 structures in Lake Village: 106 sustained damage, 32 were destroyed, 24 had minor damage, and 18 were classified as affected. Those numbers are described as conservative — many additional structures were damaged but not counted in the official tally.
At its peak, Northern Indiana Public Service Company reported more than 11,000 power outages. More than 3,000 customers across three counties remain without power, including 1,244 in Lake Village. Several roads remain closed due to heavy debris and downed power lines.
Kankakee Leveled, Aroma Park Flattened
A large tornado struck the south side of Kankakee City, then traveled northeast into Aroma Park, where it leveled entire blocks — shearing roofs off some buildings and ripping straight through others. The 911 center was overwhelmed with emergency calls.
The storms also produced exceptionally large hail in Kankakee ranging from 3 to 5 inches in diameter. One 6-inch hailstone may have set a new Illinois state record. Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey, County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand, and Mayor Chris Curtis filed an emergency declaration with the State of Illinois for disaster assistance.
Bob Wehrle, 60, of Kankakee told NBC News he took shelter in his basement after a phone alert, and watched debris fly before the storm hit. "Next thing I know, my kitchen is falling in on me. The house is falling in, and I'm looking at the sky," he said. It took neighbors and family members about an hour to dig him out.
The Tornado Emergency in Knox
A Tornado Emergency — the most urgent type of tornado warning, reserved for confirmed violent tornadoes — was declared for Knox, Indiana, in Starke County. The National Weather Service told residents: "This is a life-threatening situation. Seek shelter now." No deaths were confirmed in Starke County, though several structures were damaged.
The NWS confirmed a supercell that tracked from Pontiac, Illinois into Indiana spawned at least four tornadoes — in Pontiac, south of Kankakee, Lake Village, and Wheatfield, Indiana. NWS survey teams are in the field Wednesday to determine final tornado ratings and confirm additional touchdowns.
Warning Sirens Didn't All Sound — Survivors Noticed
Jennifer Telford, 49, told the Associated Press she hid in her basement in Lake Village after following storm reports — but noted not all warning sirens activated. "The siren in town didn't go off," she said. "The sirens outside town did."
Lake Township Fire Chief Rob Churchill pushed back on any suggestion the community was caught off guard at the institutional level. "This was reported days before. The National Weather Service, all the Chicago stations, all the weather people were reporting this. I think if it wasn't for that, I truly think our injuries and fatalities would be considerably higher — I think people were well warned."
The Threat Is Moving East
The storm threat isn't over. Over 90 million people from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic could experience severe storms today. Tornado watches are in effect in east Texas, Louisiana, northern Kentucky, southeast Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, western Maryland and Pennsylvania through Wednesday evening. Cities in the risk zone include Houston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Nashville, and Baltimore.
At least 17 tornadoes were reported across Indiana, Illinois, Texas and Alabama over the past 72 hours, with more than 300 damaging severe storm reports from the Southeast to Pennsylvania. Wednesday's tornado threat is forecast to be less intense than Tuesday's — but forecasters are not dismissing it.
If you are in the affected zone: Know your shelter location now. Do not wait for sirens.
