Storm damage assessments have preliminarily confirmed an EF-1 tornado caused damage in northwestern Lee County on Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.

The NWS in a Facebook post Friday afternoon said it had confirmed the tornado and said its survey damage team continues to investigate additional damage in Ogle County.

Lee Carlaw, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said Friday morning that crews were heading to Lee and Ogle counties to assess if damage there was from tornadoes and to confirm whether any tornado touched down.

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Tree and barn damage is seen on Mound Hill Road near Polo Friday, April 3, 2026. Thursday evening storms caused a swath of damage across the area. (Alex T. Paschal)

Strong to potentially dangerous storms were expected to impact a broad stretch of northern Illinois on Thursday, including DeKalb, Sterling, Dixon, Rock Falls, and Princeton, with forecasters warning of fast-moving storms capable of producing tornadoes and damaging winds. The National Weather Service placed much of the area under an Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe weather.

Clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon and evening hours on Thursday, delivering swaths of locally damaging winds, a few instances of quarter-sized hail, and locally heavy rainfall, according to the National Weather Service.

Damage reports included a destroyed barn and downed power poles and power lines on Mound Hill Road near Pilgrim Road in Lee County; structural damage along state Route 26, south of Woosung; downed trees and damaged outbuildings near West Edgewood Road and South Ridge Road in Ogle County; and a grain elevator down on railroad tracks south of Davis Junction. The National Weather Service received those reports between 6:10 and 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

Tree damage was also reported in Carroll County, according to the NWS’s Quad-City office.

Dixon Police Chief Ryan Bivins on Thursday night was asking residents to keep an eye out for downed power lines in the wake of the Thursday night storm. Bivins said in a Facebook post that a tornado was spotted north and west of town. Bivins said no major damage was reported in Dixon city limits.

“We kept a close eye on the weather, coordinated with our amazing dispatchers, and activated the sirens well ahead of time,” Bivins said. “We are keeping a close eye on the weather conditions and conducting damage assessments. Keep an eye out for downed power lines and stay safe.”

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office also was asking motorists to avoid areas north of Dixon because of reports of several downed power lines.