A large tornado outbreak took place from March 10–12, 2026 within the Midwestern United States, Southern Plains, and Southeastern United States. The Storm Prediction Center forecasted a tornado-driven moderate risk for severe weather on March 10, covering portions of central and eastern Illinois and northwestern portions of Indiana with a risk for very large hail, damaging winds, and strong to intense tornadoes.

Tornado watches were issued from Texas to Indiana during the late afternoon and early evening due to the risk of severe weather. A large tornado passed through the Kankakee, Illinois suburb of Aroma Park, causing significant damage and killing one person, before crossing into Indiana and striking Lake Village, where it would kill an additional two people. Along its track, 19 others were injured. The supercell thunderstorm that spawned the tornado near Kankakee also produced potentially record breaking hail, with a storm report of a in diameter hailstone occurring in the Kankakee area, which, if confirmed, would break the former Illinois state record of in diameter hail. A hailstone with a diameter measured by Northern Illinois University of was also discovered in Kankakee by the Dorris family, which is currently undergoing the verification process for becoming the new Illinois state hailstone size record holder. The supercell would continue producing tornadoes, including one which led to a tornado emergency being issued for Knox, Indiana. In all, the supercell produced 12 tornadoes: six rated EFU, two rated EF0, two rated EF1, one rated EF2, and one rated EF3. Three of the EFU tornadoes and one of the EF1 tornadoes were satellite tornadoes of the Aroma Park—Lake Village EF3 tornado, and one of the EF0 tornadoes was a satellite of the Knox EF2 tornado. In addition to the tornadoes, a group of hailstorms impacted parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area, producing diameter hailstones in the Victory Hills neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, and and diameter hailstones near Weatherby Lake and at Lake Waukomis respectively, both in Kansas City, Missouri. Other locations where particularly large hail fell were Campus, Illinois with diameter hail, the Chicago suburb of Darien, Illinois with diameter hail, and near Camp Wood, Texas and Leakey, Texas, both with diameter hail. All these very large hail events occurred on March 10.

In the following days, dozens of relatively weak and short-lived tornadoes occurred in the Southeastern United States, with the majority of them taking place in Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama. On March 12, an EF2 tornado touched down in Macon County, Georgia, just northwest of Marshallville. The tornado tracked eastward, destroying several mobile homes and injuring two people.

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Meteorological synopsis

Shortly after the tornado outbreak of March 5–7, 2026, another severe weather outbreak was forecasted for March 10th. During the morning of the outbreak, a warm front had moved into Northern Illinois, where it stalled due to a lake breeze from Lake Michigan. The environment was very favorable for severe weather across the Midwest to the central plains, with CAPE values over 3000 J/KG and moderate to strong wind shear present across the risk area. Before the 1630Z outlook, a mesoscale discussion was issued for the upgrade to a tornado-driven moderate risk. Additionally, a dryline in Texas led to a threat for large hail and severe winds.

Confirmed tornadoes

March 10 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, March 10, 2026EF#LocationCounty / ParishStateStart Coord.Time (UTC)Path lengthMax width EF0N of PontiacLivingstonIL21:49–21:51This weak tornado removed the roof of a boathouse and damaged a garage and a fence. This was the first tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EFUE of CayugaLivingstonIL21:57–21:58A law enforcement officer reported this brief tornado, which was the second one produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. No damage was reported. EFUPotosiTaylorTX22:00–22:02A brief tornado was reported by a storm chaser. EFUENE of DudleyCallahanTX22:18–22:23A tornado remained over open land causing no damage. EFUE of DudleyCallahanTX22:30–22:33This tornado was documented on video by a storm chaser. EFUENE of Val Verde ParkKinneyTX22:40This brief tornado was photographed over open country. No damage was noted. EFUSouthern KankakeeKankakeeIL23:18–23:19The third tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell crossed over trees and powerlines but inflicted no damage. EFUSSW of KankakeeKankakeeIL23:19–23:20Three storm chasers observed this brief tornado that caused no damage. This was fourth tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EF3Southern Kankakee, IL to Lake Village, IN to W of DeMotte, INKankakee (IL), Newton (IN), Jasper (IN)IL, IN23:21–00:393 deaths – See section on this tornado – This was the fifth tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell; 19 people were injured. EF1SW of Sun River TerraceKankakeeIL23:33–23:38This satellite tornado to the Aroma Park EF3 tornado formed in a field, producing swirl marks as it looped twice and tracked erratically southward. As it continued, sporadic tree damage occurred north of the Kankakee River before it crossed the river, made landfall on an island where it uprooted some more trees, moved off the island, and then made landfall back onto the south shore of the river, damaging more trees. The tornado then turned due south before eventually dissipating after uprooting a few more trees. This was the sixth tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EF0NW of TuttleGradyOK23:36Chicken coops were damaged. EFUS of Sun River TerraceKankakeeIL23:36–23:37Another satellite tornado to the Aroma Park EF3 tornado produced swirl marks in an open field, but caused no damage. This was the seventh tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EFUS of MomenceKankakeeIL23:43–23:44Storm chasers recorded this brief anticyclonic satellite tornado to the Aroma Park EF3 tornado moving over an open field. No damage occurred. This was the eighth tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EFUN of Hopkins ParkKankakeeIL23:51–23:55Another anticyclonic satellite tornado to the Aroma Park EF3 tornado took a unique track where it initially moved erratically north-northeastward over open farmland. The tornado then stopped, did a loop, and moved westward before gradually turning southward and ending just north of a residence less than southwest of where it had touched down. It left swirl marks in the fields, but no damage was reported. This was the ninth tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EF1SE of Centerville to SW of ToulonKnox, StarkIL00:22–00:29This tornado touched down and toppled a shipping container and caused tree damage near its starting point. As it moved eastward and intensified, it snapped additional trees and damaged several homes and outbuildings. The tornado continued east and crossed IL 78, where it damaged the roof of a home, broke windows, and caused extensive siding damage before dissipating. EF0NW of Toulon to S of ModenaStarkIL00:30–00:37A tornado caused sporadic tree damage. EF1NE of Kniman to ENE of TefftJasperIN00:43–01:06This large high-end EF1 tornado touched down four minutes after the Aroma Park EF3 tornado dissipated. It first caused damage to a solar panel field and several power poles. As it moved east-northeast, it damaged a nearby farmstead before intensifying just south of Wheatfield near SR 49, where numerous homes sustained considerable damage, and many trees and power poles were downed. Continuing east-northeast across SR 49, the tornado damaged additional solar panel fields, farmsteads, trees, and power poles as it crossed SR 10 and passed through Tefft. The tornado weakened afterward and dissipated before reaching the Jasper-Starke county line. This was the tenth tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. 3 people were injured. EF0N of Sparland to SSE of MagnoliaMarshallIL01:01–01:18This weak tornado caused tree damage on both sides of the Illinois River. EF2SW of Riverside to NW of KnoxStarkeIN01:07–01:43This large and strong multi-vortex tornado, which formed five minutes after the Wheatland EF1 tornado dissipated and prompted the issuance of a tornado emergency for Knox, developed west of US 421 and moved east-northeastward. As it crossed US 421, the tornado reached its peak intensity of low-end EF2, heavily damaging two large pole barns and destroying three empty grain bins with debris carried up to downwind. As it continued east-northeast, it damaged trees, center pivot irrigation systems, and several additional barns and homes. The tornado then crossed SR 39 just south of Jackson, producing further damage before moving across mostly open, unplanted fields. Additional damage occurred as the tornado crossed SR 8, where more structures and trees were impacted, as the tornado continued east-northeast before lifting just southeast of the Starke County Airport. This was the eleventh tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EF0S of JacksonStarkeIN01:35–01:36This satellite tornado to the Knox EF2 tornado was confirmed by storm chaser video after the damage assessment uncovered an unusual damage path on the south side of the main larger tornado. It partially collapsed an outbuilding and sporadically uprooted trees as it approached SR 39 before dissipating just after crossing the highway. This was the twelfth and final tornado produced by the Kankakee Valley supercell. EF1SW of DonnellsonLeeIA02:05–02:08This tornado downed tree branches before strengthening enough to damage the door of a farm outbuilding and additional nearby agricultural structures. As it continued east, it continued to cause intermittent tree damage. The tornado then intensified further, destroying two farm outbuildings and snapping numerous tree trunks at the point of peak strength. After this, it quickly weakened, producing lighter damage before dissipating shortly afterward. EF1SSE of FranklinLeeIA02:26–02:31A tornado began by downing tree branches before causing minor structural damage to a home, including fascia damage. As it moved into Wilson Lake Park, additional trees were downed, with some uprooted and a few trunks snapped. Farther along its path, the damage became more sporadic, consisting mainly of minor tree damage until the tornado lifted. EF1W of WeverLeeIA02:38–02:40This tornado damaged a home by tearing large sections of shingles from the roof and blowing in the soffit on two sides, while nearby residences sustained minor roof damage. As it continued along its path, about 10 to 15 trees were snapped and an additional five to eight trees were uprooted. A power pole was also snapped before the tornado dissipated. EF1Eastern Havana to NW of TopekaMasonIL04:52–04:58This tornado touched down on the far eastern edge of Havana near a cemetery, where it began snapping tree trunks. As it moved northeast, additional trees were snapped and several power poles were broken before the tornado approached the area near Topeka. The most significant damage occurred there when a horse barn was partially destroyed, killing a horse, before the tornado dissipated.

March 11 event