Derecho Brings 90-Mph Winds in Parts of Kane County

The powerful line of thunderstorms that swept across the suburbs August 11 has been preliminarily confirmed as a derecho, bringing wind gusts approaching 100 mph, scattered power outages and widespread damage across Kane County and surrounding communities.

The NOAA Storm Prediction Center said the storm complex, known as a mesoscale convective system, traveled from eastern Iowa into northern Indiana. The center preliminarily confirmed the system as a derecho.

The National Weather Service office in Romeoville​ reported wind gusts of 89 mph in Batavia and 97 mph near Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove as the storm moved through the region.

Tornado sirens sounded across the region, including in Geneva and Batavia, as the severe weather moved through. Operations at the Kane County Judicial Center in St. Charles were briefly suspended, with people taking shelter in the building's lower level.  The same precautions were taken during the Kane County Board meeting, which recessed as board members, staff and the public sheltered on the first floor during the height of the storm.

People who signed up for Kane County's Public Safety Alert system were updated throughout the storm on the changing weather.

The powerful winds caused scattered power outages across southern Kane County. In Aurora, roads were partially or completely blocked at 84 locations at one point as crews responded to downed trees, wires and other storm-related hazards.

Two significant road closures were reported in Kane County by the Kane County Office of Emergency Management and Kane County Division of Transportation following the storms:

• Illinois Route 30 between Municipal Drive and Indigo Drive in Sugar Grove
• Hughes Road between Bunker Road and Green Road in Elburn

Downed wires were reported at both locations, but the roads were reopened within a short time.

Illinois Sets Tornado Record

Tuesday's severe weather comes as Illinois is experiencing an unusually active tornado season.

The National Weather Service reports that Illinois has already set a record for the number of tornadoes recorded in a single year and is now over 200. The pace is well above the state's historical average of 54 tornadoes annually from 1990 through 2020.

Federal data show Illinois recorded 121 tornadoes in 2023, 142 in 2024 and 126 in 2025. Before this recent stretch, the state had recorded more than 100 tornadoes in only four years. The last triple-digit year before that was 2006.

National Weather Service Storm Reports

The National Weather Service has posted an Interactive Map of Preliminary Storm Reports from This Week's Severe Weather and Flooding.

Help is Available for Kane County Residents After July 2-4 Storms

Help remains available for residents, businesses and eligible nonprofits affected by the destructive storms and flooding that moved through Kane County July 2–4.

• SBA disaster loans are available for Kane County residents, businesses and eligible nonprofits affected by the storms and flooding. Low-interest loans can help cover uninsured or underinsured losses.
• Two Disaster Loan Outreach Centers are open in Kane County: the Prisco Center in Aurora through Aug. 22 and the Elgin Township Building from Aug. 17 through Sept. 1. Walk-ins are welcome.
• Homeowners may qualify for up to $500,000 in disaster loans. Renters and homeowners may qualify for up to $100,000 for personal property, while businesses and eligible nonprofits may qualify for up to $2 million for physical damage and economic injury.
• Apply online at sba.gov/disaster or call (800) 659-2955. The deadline for physical damage applications is Oct. 5, 2026. Economic injury applications are due May 5, 2027.

Aurora Seeks Damage Reports from the Aug. 10 storm

The City of Aurora Emergency Management Agency is asking residents and business owners to report storm damage to private property through a self-reporting damage assessment survey.

The information will help emergency management officials identify the location and severity of damage and determine where additional in-person assessments may be needed.

Residents can complete the survey at Aurora's storm damage assessment survey.

The survey is intended for private property damage only. To report damage to public property, such as downed trees or flooded roads, residents should submit a service request through Aurora 311.

Montgomery Schedules Emergency Brush Pickup

Montgomery has scheduled emergency brush collection for Aug. 19 to help residents recover from the severe weather.

Residents can learn more about the collection at Emergency Brush Collection Information.