NWS confirms record 27 tornadoes from July 15th storms

CHICAGO — The record-breaking number of tornadoes that touched down in the Chicago and Rockford areas during last Monday’s Derecho continues to climb.

On Monday, the National Wheater Service (NWS) updated the total tornado count from the storms to include three more twisters that touched down in the NWS Chicago forecast area.

According to the NWS, the newly confirmed tornadoes hit the ground in Maple Park, Country Club Hills and at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

The additional tornadoes bring the total count from Monday’s storms to 27, which surpasses the previous records for the NWS Chicago forecast area of 22 tornadoes that touched down on June 30, 2014, and March 31, 2023.

The NWS has confirmed the following 27 tornado paths from Monday’s storms which are listed in the order they occurred:

1. EF-0 – Byron – Tornado passed through Byron at 7:44 p.m. and produced tree damage across town and blew roofing material off of a car wash.
2. EF-0 – Davis Junction – Tornado passed through the north side of Davis Junction at 7:58 p.m. and produced a corridor of tree damage.
3. EF-0 – Southern Winnebago County – Tornado moved along Montague Road at 7:58 p.m. for about 1.2 miles and caused damage to corn crops, trees, and power lines.
4. EF-U – Maple Park – Tornado touched down at 8:38 p.m. and tore through DeKalb and Kane Counties. It was assigned an “EF-Unknown rating” as it remained entirely in fields and no damage indicators or wind speed ratings currently exist.
5. EF-1 – Sugar Grove to Aurora – Tornado touched down at 8:49 p.m. carving an 8.4-mile path.
6. EF-0 – Sugar Grove to North Aurora – Tornado touched down at 8:52 p.m. carving a 10.1-mile path.
7. EF-1 – Yorkville to South Naperville – Tornado touched down at 8:55 p.m. and caused extensive tree damage and some structural damage.
8. EF-1 – Minooka to Joliet – Tornado touched down at 9:07 p.m. and tore a 16.3-mile path with wind speed reaching up top 110 MPH.
9. EF-0 – Western Joliet to Lockport – Tornado path started in Kendall County at 9:12 p.m. and continued into Will County before ending at I-355 in Lockport.
10. EF-2 – Channahon to Matteson – Tornado touched down at 9:17 p.m. carving a 28.9-mile path.
11. EF-0 – Glen Ellyn to Lombard – Tornado touched down near Bryant Avenue at 9:23 p.m. and caused tree damage and some structural damage.
12. EF-0 – Villa Park – Tornado started near Kenilworth and Cornell Avenues at 9:29 p.m. and was only on the ground for about 1 minute.
13. EF-0 – O’Hare (Bensenville to Rosemont) – Tornado touched down at 9:34 p.m. and craved a 3.8-mile path, with wind speeds reaching up to 80 MPH.
14. EF- 0 – Manteno – Tornado touched down at 9:36 p.m. and carved a 12.3-mile path with wind speeds reaching up to 80 MPH.
15. EF-0 – Broadview – Tornado touched down at 9:36 p.m. and carved a .8-mile path with winds speeds reaching up to 85 MPH.
16. EF-1 – Justice – Tornado touched down near the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal around 9:37 p.m. uprooting several large trees.
17. EF-0 – Crestwood to Blue Island – Tornado touched down at 9:41 p.m. and carved a 5.7-mile path
18. EF-0 – Peotone – Tornado touched down at 9:41 p.m. and carved a 6.4-mile path
19. EF-1 – Flossmoor – Tornado touched down at 9:43 p.m. and caused damage to trees and structures in Thornton.
20. EF-0 – Oak Forest – Tornado touched down at 9:43 p.m. carving a short .4-mile path.
21. EF-0 – Country Club Hills – Tornado touched down at 9:45 p.m., carving a .4-mile path, with wind speeds reaching up to 80 mph
22. EF-1 –  Near West Side – Tornado touched down at 9:47 p.m. and caused extensive tree damage along its path, as well as some minor structural damage.
23. EF-1 –  Chicago Lawn – Tornado began on the southwest side of Marquette Park at 9:47 p.m., snapping several trees at their bases.
24. EF- 0 – West Town – Tornado started near near North Kedzie Avenue and West Augusta Boulevard at 9:50 p.m., uprooting several trees, blowing out some building windows and damaging some roofs.
25. EF-1 – Grant Park – Tornado touched down at 9:51 p.m. and craved a 2.6-mile path with wind speeds reaching up to 90 MPH.
26. EF-1 – Cedar Lake to Valparaiso – Tornado touched down near Eagle Lake at 9:52 p.m. and caused damage to trees and buildings along its 29.1-mile path.
27. EF – 0 – Shelby to Wheatfield Township – Tornado touched down at 10:02 p.m., just north of Shelby, causing damage to trees and a roof.

According to the NWS, EF-0 tornadoes are twisters with wind speeds ranging from 65 to 85 MPH, that can cause minor damage to roofs and chimneys, but well-built structures usually remain unharmed.

EF-0 tornadoes can also topple over billboards and signs and lead to broken tree limbs.

EF-1 twisters are reported to have wind speeds ranging from 86 to 110 MPH that can cause moderate damage to permanent structures, and can even push cars off the roads or flip them.

EF-2 tornadoes can have wind speeds ranging from 111 to 135 MPH and can cause severe damage to buildings, and even sweep away unanchored homes. Small vehicles can also be lifted off the ground and tossed.

The number of confirmed tornadoes continued to climb as NWS teams surveyed the damage across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.

On Friday, the total climbed to 24, breaking the previous records.

Following Monday’s Derecho, the NWS said that there were 29 different paths of potential damage that crews would investigate to identify potential tornado tracks.

Monday’s twisters came only a day before after a round of storms brought six tornadoes to Chicagoland on Sunday night, including two in the City of Chicago.