Midwest Faces Severe Thunderstorms with Hail and Tornadoes Thursday
Severe thunderstorms are moving across the Midwest on Thursday. Record late-March heat streaming east from the Plains is helping fuel the storms.
Current conditions and observed damage
Radar shows a broken line of storms tracking south and east through the region. These storms have produced damaging winds and large hail.
Hail as large as lemons fell southwest of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Thursday evening. A garage roof was torn off in Tipton County, Indiana.
Strong winds overturned a semi on US-30 near Van Wert, Ohio, with possible injuries reported. Widespread damaging winds affected northern Illinois and northern Ohio into early Friday morning.
Recent March outbreak summary
This is the latest outbreak during a busy March for severe weather. Several earlier rounds produced numerous tornadoes and fatalities.
- March 6: Four tornadoes struck southern Michigan. An EF3 in Branch County killed three people.
- Also on March 6: An EF2 hit Three Rivers, and an EF1 in Cass County caused one fatality.
- March 10: A lone supercell spawned five tornadoes from northeast Illinois into northwest Indiana. The EF3 tornado in Kankakee, Illinois, killed three people.
- March 15: Seventeen tornadoes were confirmed across central and southern Illinois.
- Most recently, a flare-up brought hail and damaging winds from Illinois into western Pennsylvania.
A plot of confirmed tornadoes and reports covers March 2026 through the morning of March 25.
Safety steps
If you are in the threatened area, prepare now. Know your nearest safe shelter before storms arrive.
- If you live in a manufactured home, plan to use a community shelter or a nearby building with reinforced concrete.
- Use several ways to receive official National Weather Service watches and warnings. Include your phone and a NOAA weather radio.
- Keep devices charged and enable alerts that will wake you at night. Seek safe shelter immediately when a warning is issued.
The Midwest faces severe thunderstorms that may include large hail and tornadoes Thursday. Stay tuned to official updates.
Jonathan Erdman is listed as a senior meteorologist at Filmogaz.com. He has covered national and international weather since 1996.
