Event narrative (NOAA)
A violent EF-4 tornado with peak winds of 190 mph impacted southern Williamson County, IL, during the early evening hours of Friday, May 16, 2025. The tornado began near the intersection of Spillway Road and Grassy Road doing mainly tree damage. As it moved eastward, the tornado intensified as it approached I-57. The tornado strengthened to EF-3 levels, where it removed the roofs of several homes of the staff of the U.S. Penitentiary just south of the main prison complex. The tornado debarked, and reduced to stubs, numerous trees adjacent to I-57. Multiple videos of this tornado were taken around the time it crossed I-57. The tornado continued at EF-3 strength as it damaged homes along IL-37 and north of Hudgens Road. The tornado reached peak intensity after crossing Market Road and into a
Other notable tornado events in Illinois
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.