A tornado and softball-size hail tore through parts of Kankakee County on Tuesday night, flattening businesses along South Schuyler Avenue and damaging homes from Kankakee to Aroma Township. Despite the widespread destruction, officials say it is “miraculous” that no one was killed.

While at least one confirmed tornado ripped through significant portions of Kankakee and Aroma Township boundaries, and softball-sized hail damaged structures, officials credited advanced storm warnings as likely playing a role when it came to limiting human tragedy.

Despite jaw-dropping destruction in the South Schuyler Avenue commercial and industrial district in Kankakee and residential areas in and around Aroma Park, there were no deaths attributed to the storm here.

At a news conference Wednesday morning at the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Mike Downey provided some details of the storm.

He noted that shortly after 6 p.m., officials and weather spotters observed rotation of clouds in the area of 5000S and 6000S roads just northwest of Chebanse.

These cloud rotations were traveling northeast along Interstate 57, and the tornado touched down near the Kankakee County Fairgrounds property.

He noted that the Jerome Combs Detention Center and the sheriff’s department sustained minor damage.

From that point, the storm travels along South Schuyler Avenue in Kankakee. Heavy damage in the city’s commercial and industrial-zoned area sustained massive damage.

Businesses were flattened and significantly damaged, and numerous telephone poles were snapped or pushed over. The portion of South Schuyler between the RiverStone Parkway and River Road was closed to traffic shortly after the storm due to the scope of damage.

From that point, the storm turned, and massive hail dropped on Kankakee homes on the south and east sides of the city.

The storm then continued traveling east along Waldron Road, and heavy residential damage was sustained in Aroma Township. Some structures were flattened, and countless trees were either uprooted or broken and fell into streets or on top of houses.

The Aroma area sustained the heaviest damage, officials said.

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An aerial view of the storm damage near Strasma Drive and Lowe Road in Aroma Park on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Scott Anderson)

“I’m amazed at the way the community came together in a such a short time,” Downey said. “Miraculously, there was no loss of life or serious injury.”

He noted that a temporary shelter has been established at KCC.

Extensive hail damage impacted parts of Bradley and Bourbonnais, said Kankakee County Board Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand.

“While homes, buildings, and infrastructure can be rebuilt, lives cannot be replaced,” Alexander-Hildebrand said. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families that have been affected.”

He noted the Gov. JB Pritzker’s office had been in contact with local officials and offered any type of assistance.

An estimated 8,000 ComEd customers in Kankakee County had been without power. About 3,500 of those locations had power restored by early this morning, noted Jeremy Smith, ComEd’s vice president of distribution operations.

Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis was thankful the storm did not rip through Kankakee neighborhoods, where loss of life could have been high.

He noted there were seven fires in Kankakee or in nearby areas, but all were quickly extinguished.

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Aroma Park tornado aftermath - March 11, 2026 Damage is seen along Elmwood Drive in Aroma Park on March 11, 2026 following a March 10 tornado that passed through Kankakee County. (Tiffany Blanchette)

Curtis said it was also fortunate that Daylight Saving Time was in effect. The extra light helped everyone.

The city’s 26-member public works crew was out in force Tuesday night and early Wednesday, assisting in the cleanup.

“We’re very fortunate that where the tornado did come through city of Kankakee. It was mostly our commercial and industrial area and not heavy residential area,” he said. “We did suffer significant damage.”

Evaluation of building damage and the length of cleanup are being addressed.

But like all others, Curtis noted there are also reasons to be thankful.

“We are grateful there was no loss of life,” he said.