While there was no doubt in the minds of many Kankakee County residents that Tuesday’s tornado packed a punch, the National Weather Service confirmed it.

The National Weather Service said Wednesday that the tornado, which started near Chebanse and continued through Kankakee and Aroma Township late Tuesday, was listed as EF-3 intensity.

Weather service field surveyors confirmed the tornado had peak winds near 150 mph.

An EF-3 tornado classification is defined as one with winds ranging from 136 mph to 165 mph.

The NWS determined the top winds were determined to have occurred along Sandbar Road, just northwest of Aroma Park and just south of Illinois Route 17.

After the storm left a path of damage in Aroma Township, it traveled just south of Sun River Terrace along Route 17 and just north of Hopkins Park.

The storm then made its way into Indiana at Lake Village and through Roselawn.

The storm caused considerable damage in Kankakee along South Schuyler Avenue, where several businesses sustained significant damage.

Power lines throughout west and south Kankakee were toppled, causing thousands to be without power.

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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)

The NWS’s work is likely not complete. The weather system is believed to have produced four suspected tornadoes.

A second confirmed tornado, which touched down near Wheatfield, Ind., had winds reaching 110.

There are six categories on the EF tornado scale, ranging from EF-0 (winds between 60-85 mph) to EF-5 (winds greater than 200 mph). EF-5 is the highest intensity.