March 19, 2025: Line of Storms Produces Damaging Winds, Hail, and Multiple Tornadoes

Downloadable KMZ File with All Tornado Tracks

Downloadable Shapefile with All Tornado Tracks

Below is a summary of all of the NWS damage survey findings in the NWS Chicago forecast area from this severe weather event. An interactive map with all of this information can be found on our Damage Assessment Toolkit Viewer website (to see the data from this event, make sure that the date range in the top right corner includes this event's date). Instructions for how to download KMZ files and shapefiles with our survey data are available here.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down just southeast of the intersection of
Rowell Avenue and Eunice Avenue. This brief tornado moved east
northeast across Eunice Avenue, causing shingle damage to one
house and uprooting a few trees. Metal panels and pieces of a car
port were blown to the northeast at least 200 yards, and one
vehicle was blown over. Peak winds were estimated at 75 mph. This
tornado dissipated near Howliston Court.

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Summary:

A tornado briefly touched down near Sauk Trail near the Sauk
Trail Forest Preserve in Frankfort. This tornado moved to the
north northeast into a residential area along Shetland Drive and
Troon Circle. Damage was mostly confined to broken branches and a
few small uprooted trees. Peak winds were estimated at 65 mph.
The tornado dissipated just past this neighborhood near Harlem
Avenue.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down near Kings Road south of Richton Road in
Steger. This tornado moved east northeast toward Richton Road,
intensified briefly, causing damage to shingles at multiple
houses. Wind speed was estimated up to 80 mph in this area. The
tornado continued east northeast through residential areas,
weakening slightly, with damage mostly confined to broken
branches. The tornado again intensified briefly as it neared IL-1
where a large section of metal roof panels was removed from a
metal warehouse building. Wind speeds were estimated at 90 mph in
this area. Debris from the warehouse was blown across nearby
railroad tracks. The tornado weakened as it moved into another
residential area, with damage confined to broken branches. The
tornado dissipated near Hereford Avenue and Durham Drive.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down near Joe Orr Road west of Torrence Avenue
in Lynwood. This brief tornado caused damage to the roof of two
industrial buildings with winds estimated at 85 mph. Pieces of
debris were blown onto Torrence Avenue. The tornado dissipated
shortly after it crossed Torrence Avenue.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down just northwest of the intersection of US-41
and 45th Street in Highland. This tornado first caused damage to
the roof of a commercial building on US-41, then continued east
northeast into a residential area near Merkley Elementary School
where damage was mostly small branches broken and a few instances
of shingle damage. The tornado briefly intensified as it neared
Forrest Drive and Sac Drive, with a few trees uprooted and
multiple large branches broken. One large tree was uprooted onto a
house, causing roof damage. Winds were estimated at 85 mph in this
neighborhood. Fences were also damaged in the vicinity. The
tornado continued northeast toward the residential area near
Southridge Elementary School, where damage was mostly confined to
small branches. The tornado dissipated near Wirth Road just west
of Kleinman Road.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down near West 29th Place, just east of Colfax
Street in Gary. This brief tornado uprooted two large trees with
estimated winds of 75 mph, as well as blowing out the glass doors
at the entrance of the Hard Rock Casino. The tornado dissipated
shortly after passing the casino before Burr Street.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down near Morton Street between West 23rd Avenue
and West 22nd Plaza in Gary. This brief tornado ripped the roof
off Frankie Woods McCullough Academy gymnasium, blew out the
garage and ripped off the roofs of several homes on west 21st
Avenue, as well as bent several power poles and light fixtures.
Officials reported an adult female was injured due to part of the
roof collapsing onto them. They were taken to the hospital and
were reported to be in stable condition. The tornado dissipated
just before the New Revelation Baptist Church on West 21st Avenue,
just before Chase Street.

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Summary:

A tornado touched down near Norton Park, just south of West 13th
Avenue in Gary. This brief tornado blew tree debris across
roadways and uprooted several small trees east of the Gary
Business District with estimated winds of 70 mph. The tornado
dissipated around MLK Drive, just north of East 7th Avenue before
reaching the Dunes Highway.

Preliminary Storm Report Map

Preliminary National Storm Reports

Interactive Map of Preliminary Storm Reports