Illinois Hits 207 Tornadoes, Topping State Record
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- Illinois has recorded 207 tornadoes so far this year, surpassing the previous state record of 142 set just two years ago, according to state climatologist Trent Ford.
- This marks the third consecutive triple-digit tornado season for Illinois, well above its historical average of roughly 50 twisters annually, Ford noted.
- Steve Nesbitt of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that Illinois and Indiana have logged the highest tornado activity since the National Weather Service began tracking in 1950, with Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, and Ohio also in the national top 10.
- The Midwest surge contrasts with declining activity in the traditional Great Plains "Tornado Alley," and nationally the year is below average due to quieter Southern Plains and Southeast conditions, Nesbitt said.
- By tornado density (tornadoes per 50-mile square), central Illinois ranks highest in the country as of mid-August, even though Texas still holds the absolute record of 255 tornadoes in 2015.
- Climate Central's Shel Winkley attributed elevated atmospheric moisture to unusually warm Gulf of Mexico waters — which have absorbed over 90% of human-caused excess heat — fueling higher CAPE values over the eastern U.S. during spring.
- NWS Chicago senior meteorologist Ginno Izzi said improved radar resolution means smaller tornadoes are now being detected that likely would have been missed 20 years ago, complicating direct comparisons to historical records.
Why it matters: Illinois and Indiana residents now face the highest tornado activity recorded since 1950, with four nearby Corn Belt states also in the national top 10. As twisters migrate east away from traditional Tornado Alley, communities without historical tornado infrastructure face growing exposure — though scientists caution they're still working to disentangle natural variability from greenhouse gas-driven shifts in tornado geography.
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