So far in 2026, the top US state for tornadoes isn’t Kansas or Oklahoma, but the unlikely state of Illinois.
From the start of the year to June 21, Illinois was rocked by at least 196 confirmed tornadoes — which is 110 more than any other state, the Weather Channel reported, referencing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
That’s an astonishing number of Tornadoes compared to neighboring states like Indiana, which has weathered 70, and Wisconsin, which has withstood 45. In fact, according to NBC 5 Chicago, Illinois has experienced more tornadoes this year than any other US state going back to 2015.
Though the US’ infamous “Tornado Alley” typically encompasses Great Plains states like Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Northern Texas, experts and weather trackers say the region is slowly shifting. In some cases, those Great Plains states are seeing fewer tornadoes, while Midwest and Southeast states experience much more.
As meteorologist Hannah Sheehy wrote in an April explainer, tornado activity in the US has slowly shifted eastward between 1985 to 2019, to encompass areas like southern Illinois and Indiana, as well as western regions of Kentucky and Tennessee.
Though climate scientists are hesitant to declare a causal link between climate change and tornadic activity, Sheehy writes that changing climate conditions are an important ingredient in Tornado Alley’s eastward creep.
“As drought conditions become more common, there’s less low-level moisture available to fuel thunderstorms across parts of the traditional Plains,” Sheehy explains. “At the same time, the atmosphere farther east, across the Midwest and into the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, has been providing a more consistent combination of warmth, humidity, and wind shear. That means more days where the ingredients for severe storms come together in those regions.”
Still, that doesn’t mean that the Plains are free and clear. They’re still fertile ground for house-shattering twisters, Sheehy observes, though they’re no longer alone, as the geographic region for freak tornado activity grows to encompass more and more of the United States.
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