A violent storm system swept across parts of the central United States on Tuesday night, leaving a trail of destruction across several states and claiming at least two lives. By Wednesday morning, residents and officials in Illinois and Indiana were beginning the difficult process of evaluating the damage caused by multiple tornadoes, powerful winds, and large hail.

Among those returning to damaged homes were Tim Pinson and his wife, Karen, who live in Kankakee County, Illinois. Early Wednesday, the couple cautiously approached their property to see what remained after the tornado passed through the night before. What they found was a home severely damaged by the storm’s force.

According to Pinson, the tornado tore off the front door and shattered several windows. Portions of the roof were ripped away, exposing the interior of the house. The attached garage where the couple once parked their vehicle had vanished entirely.

During the storm, the couple had taken shelter in a small pantry closet located near the garage. That decision may have saved their lives. Pinson described the terrifying moments as the tornado struck, saying the entire house seemed to lift into the air before slamming back down.

“We honestly didn’t think we were going to survive,” he said while recounting the experience.

The storm system that tore through the Midwest and parts of the South generated numerous tornadoes, with meteorologists estimating that as many as twelve may have formed during the event. According to the National Weather Service, at least four tornadoes touched down in Illinois and northwestern Indiana.

Emergency officials reported that several communities experienced significant damage. In Kankakee County, located about 60 miles south of Chicago along Illinois’ eastern border, authorities confirmed that nine residents sustained minor injuries during the storm.

Conditions appeared even more severe across the state line in Newton County, Indiana, approximately 35 miles east of Kankakee County. Officials there confirmed that an elderly couple had been found dead inside their home following the storm. Around ten other individuals were reported injured.

Local authorities in Indiana launched search and rescue operations Wednesday morning, focusing on areas where buildings had collapsed or where residents might have been trapped by debris.

One of the hardest-hit locations appeared to be a stretch of road in the small town of Lake Village, Indiana. The destruction there was extensive. Entire houses were wiped from their foundations, and debris was scattered across yards and roadways. In one striking scene, an SUV had been lifted by the storm’s winds and deposited into a nearby pond.

Insulation, pieces of roofing, and fragments of walls were scattered across the area as emergency responders continued searching for survivors and assessing damage.

Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield described the devastation in Lake Village as overwhelming. During a Wednesday morning briefing, he said the community had been “decimated” by the tornado.

He explained that the storm moved slowly but maintained intense strength as it crossed the region, causing destruction along a path that stretched deep into the state.

“This tornado system moved gradually across the area and caused widespread damage,” Fifield said.

By Wednesday evening, officials had begun compiling preliminary damage assessments. Early estimates suggested that more than 100 buildings had sustained damage, while over 30 structures had been completely destroyed. Authorities cautioned that these figures could rise as teams continued surveying affected communities.

In neighboring Jasper County, Indiana, the sheriff’s office also reported significant storm impacts. Officials said the tornado knocked down numerous trees and power lines while damaging homes and other buildings. Several people in the county were also reported injured.

Local media outlets added that a solar energy facility near the town of Wheatfield suffered heavy damage, with parts of the installation reportedly torn apart by the storm’s powerful winds.

The severe weather system responsible for the tornadoes covered a vast region across the central United States. In addition to tornadoes, communities experienced strong wind gusts and unusually large hail.

One remarkable report came from Kankakee, the county seat of Kankakee County, where meteorologists recorded a hailstone measuring roughly six inches in diameter. According to the National Weather Service, that measurement may represent a new record for the state of Illinois.

The storm system itself stretched across multiple states. One portion extended through Texas and Oklahoma, while another moved across Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.

Reports of tornado activity also emerged from Texas. Local news outlets there described significant property damage in several counties. In one small community near San Antonio, a powerful hailstorm destroyed a plant nursery, causing extensive losses to the local business.

The storms also disrupted electrical service, leaving thousands of residents without power across several states.

This outbreak of severe weather followed closely on the heels of other storms that had already affected parts of the country earlier in the week. Days before Tuesday’s tornadoes, severe storms had swept through Michigan and Oklahoma, resulting in at least six fatalities.

Back in Kankakee County, the aftermath of the storm was visible across neighborhoods on Wednesday morning. Fallen trees, shattered lumber, and broken pieces of homes lay scattered across lawns and roadways. In many cases, entire houses appeared to be total losses.

For Pinson, who spent much of his career working in tree care and storm cleanup before retiring, the destruction was especially striking.

He explained that he had spent decades helping communities recover after storms, but had rarely witnessed damage on this scale firsthand.

Despite his experience with disaster recovery, the events of Tuesday night left him stunned.

Pinson also described the frantic moments as he and his wife attempted to find shelter when the tornado warning arrived. Their first instinct was to hide in a crawl space beneath the house. However, as the storm intensified, the powerful suction created by the winds made it impossible to open the hatch door leading to the space.

Unable to access it, the couple rushed instead to the pantry closet.

Even closing the pantry door proved difficult. Pinson said flying debris filled the air as the tornado approached, making it nearly impossible to secure the door at first.

The noise of the storm, he said, was overwhelming.

“The sound was deafening,” he recalled.

Meteorologists are still working to determine the exact number of tornadoes that touched down during the outbreak. Rich Thompson, chief of forecast operations at the Storm Prediction Center, said the process requires careful analysis.

Experts rely on radar data, eyewitness reports, and trained storm spotters to confirm tornado activity. Because tornadoes are sometimes difficult to see—particularly during nighttime storms—it can take hours or even days before the total number of confirmed tornadoes becomes clear.

Thompson noted that the threat of additional tornadoes was expected to decline by Wednesday, although isolated incidents could still occur. Weather conditions are forecast to gradually stabilize as the week continues.

According to forecasters, the overall risk of severe weather should diminish after Thursday.

If predictions hold, the region may finally experience several days of calmer conditions following a week marked by destructive storms.