Severe Storms Bring Tornadoes, Flooding, and Fatalities Across Central and Midwest States

Intense storms swept across the central United States Friday evening, unleashing tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds, and life-threatening flash floods across several states, according to weather officials. The latest round of severe weather hit a region already reeling from days of earlier tornadoes and significant flood damage.

A large and "extremely dangerous" tornado struck Lena, Illinois, Friday, causing extensive destruction, according to local authorities. Multiple tornadoes were also confirmed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, with the Upper Mississippi Valley—spanning parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin—identified by the National Weather Service as having the highest risk for further strong tornadoes into the weekend.

More than 51 million people from Texas to Wisconsin remain under threat as storms are expected to intensify during the afternoon and evening. The Chicago metropolitan area is currently under a tornado watch, signaling a continued risk that stretches across multiple states. Severe storm hazards are not limited to tornadoes; weather officials have warned of very large hail in states including Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and Michigan, as well as destructive winds that could reach up to 70 mph from Texas through Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Communities in the Midwest are still dealing with the aftermath of recent tornadoes. In western New York, neighborhoods south of Buffalo spent Thursday clearing damage from a tornado that struck a day earlier. In Clinton, Missouri, two twisters touched down on Wednesday night, destroying trees and causing significant property damage.

Michigan has been especially hard-hit by record flooding. Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for 33 counties as rivers surged to unprecedented levels and water threatened infrastructure, including a dam near Cheboygan in northern Michigan. In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, roads remained closed due to flooding following a torrential downpour on Wednesday, and officials reported that a 41-year-old man was killed by a suspected lightning strike.

The risk of severe storms is expected to persist through Saturday, with cities such as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo in the projected path. Authorities continue to monitor conditions closely, and recovery efforts are ongoing in affected communities.