2025 Marion, Illinois tornado

On the afternoon of May 16, 2025, a destructive EF4 tornado struck the southern portion of Williamson County, Illinois, just south of Marion, amid a tornado outbreak across the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. The tornado, commonly referred to as the Marion, Illinois tornado,^[2] quickly tracked 16.28 miles (26.20 km) across the area, inflicting high-end damage and resulting in seven injuries. It was the first violent tornado to strike Illinois since the 2015 Rochelle–Fairdale tornado just over a decade earlier.^[3]

The tornado initially touched down in rural southwestern Williamson County, causing low-end damage to trees, outbuildings, and mobile homes. As it approached the USP Marion, a federal prison, it intensified to high-end EF3 intensity. Prison staff housing areas were significantly damaged and nearby trees were debarked. It maintained high-end EF3 intensity as it affected the northern parts of Hudgens, where several homes and trees were affected. It briefly weakened to EF2 strength before entering southern portions of Marion, where it rapidly re-intensified to high-end EF4 strength as it swept a well-constructed two-story home to its foundation and reduced hundreds of trees to stubs. Several other homes were also affected at EF3 intensity in areas surrounding this home. The tornado then continued across rural, forested areas at EF2 intensity, briefly re-intensifying to EF3 intensity as it struck a pocket of homes, before again significantly weakening and dissipating shortly thereafter.^[2][1]

This was the first violent tornado in years to affect this area, since an EF4 tornado struck over in Saline and Gallatin counties over to the east, during the dawn of February 29, 2012.^[3][4] Despite its great intensity and the high-end damage it inflicted to the prison complex and numerous homes, it remarkably caused only minor injuries and no fatalities.^[1]

The Storm Prediction Center outlined a moderate (4/5) risk of severe weather over much of the middle Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys in the Midwestern United States on May 16. Marion was included in this moderate risk area, being in the area with the highest potential for tornadoes, damaging wind, and large hail. Following the remnants of a severe weather system the previous day, a cold front was forecasted to move through much of the Midwest and through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys that evening. Strong mid-level flow and shear values would contribute to ideal conditions for the development of storms, potentially developing into supercells with the potential to produce strong tornadoes in the region.^[5]

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky were monitoring the risk for severe weather in the area from the late evening of the 15th, warning of an "extremely volatile environment" for discrete supercells to produce strong to intense tornadoes, as well as large hail and strong wind gusts. This was due to the erosion of a cap over the area accompanied by ample CAPE values, strong wind shear, and instability.^[6] By the early afternoon of the 16th, a tornado watch was issued reaffirming these threats, warning of high potential for tornadoes and a moderate potential for strong tornadoes among other types of severe weather. This was based on the observation of supercells moving from eastern Missouri and western Illinois into a highly unstable airmass downstream.^[7]

The supercell responsible for this tornado was first tornado-warned at 5:09 p.m. CDT^[a] by the National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri while it was over eastern Missouri.^[8] Another warning was issued for it two minutes later.^[9] The initial circulation then dissipated and a new one formed further to the south and progressed eastward, crossing the state line into Illinois.^[10] At 6:08 p.m., another tornado warning was issued for the storm as it moved over Southern Illinois, entering Williamson County.^[11] Minutes later at 6:15 p.m., the tornado touched down in the southwest of the county, just northwest the small community of Wolf Creek.^[2]

The tornado touched down along Grassy Road at 6:15 p.m. northwest of Wolf Creek in the southwestern portion of Williamson County, initially causing mostly EF0 tree damage as it moved due east.^[2][12] Nearing IL 148, the tornado intensified to EF1 strength, destroying an outbuilding and heavily damaging a mobile home as it crossed the highway.^[2]

The tornado then rapidly intensified, reaching high-end EF3 intensity as it passed just south of the USP Marion complex, a federal prison. Surveys were not able to be conducted here for security purposes, but satellite imagery revealed that several staff housing buildings had their roofs removed.^[2][12][13] At this point, the tornado warning for the storm was upgraded to a PDS tornado warning due to radar confirmation of a "large and extremely dangerous" tornado on the ground.^[11]

Continuing eastward at EF3 intensity, the tornado caused heavy tree damage, including many trees that were debarked and reduced to stubs, as it approached I-57. It maintained EF3 intensity as it crossed the interstate, striking the northern part of Hudgens.^[2][12] Several homes here were almost fully collapsed, and trees were snapped.^[2]

Moving eastward, the tornado exited Hudgens and briefly weakened to EF2 intensity as it went on to enter the southern portions of Marion. As it crossed Market Road, significant roof and tree damage occurred, and outbuildings were destroyed, all at low-end EF2 intensity.^[2] At this time, 6:25 p.m., a rare tornado emergency was issued for southeast Williamson and southern Saline counties as radar scans showed a large debris ball and velocity consistent with a strong tornadic rotation.^[14][15]

However, after crossing Andrew Road and moving into Kyler Court, the tornado would extremely rapidly re-intensify. Remarkably, it went from low-end EF2 to its peak of high-end EF4 intensity within the span of one minute,^[2] all while moving at a brisk 60 mph (97 km/h).^[14]

On Kyler Court, four homes further away from the center of the tornado suffered low-end EF3 roof damage. Closer to the center of the vortex, a house was almost completely swept off of its foundation, but was assigned high-end EF3 intensity as the slab was not swept clean. Finally, peak high-end EF4 damage occurred to a well-built, relatively new two-story home, whose inhabitants were thankfully not present at the time. The slab was swept clean with debris being scattered into a wooded area behind it. Moving east, the tornado maintained EF4 intensity as it entered this aforementioned wooded area. The extreme stubbing and debarking of hundreds of trees in this area were given a low-end EF4 rating. Despite the complete destruction of this house and extreme tree damage in the area, maximum wind speeds of just 190 mph (310 km/h) were assigned due to the "typical construction" of the home, which relied on toenailing and did not have anchor bolts. Small shrubs were also left intact at the front of the house.^[2][12]

Moving eastward, the tornado once again weakened to high-end EF2 to mid-range EF3 intensity. Near Wards Mill Road, several homes were severely damaged, including multiple that were moved off of their foundations. One person in this area was thrown dozens of yards out of the front loader they were taking cover in, suffering intense injuries from flying debris but surviving.^[2][12] As the tornado exited Marion, it again weakened to EF2 and high-end EF1 intensity as it destroyed outbuildings and snapped trees and power poles. A small pocket of low-end EF3 damage occurred as the tornado passed to the north of Willeford, sweeping away an unanchored home, leveling a nailed-down home, and removing the roof and knocking down some exterior walls of a third home, all of which were along IL 166.^[2][12]

From here, the tornado gradually weakened, destroying an outbuilding at EF2 intensity before moving into a more rural area. It caused sporadic, low-end tree damage as it drifted east-southeast, before finally lifting at 6:32 p.m.^[2][12]

The tornado emergency, still in effect at this point, was extended at 6:38 p.m. However, no tornado was on the ground in the area at this time. At 6:47 p.m., the tornado emergency in Williamson County was cancelled while the one in Saline County was downgraded to a PDS tornado warning.^[14] Despite the main tornado having lifted, its parent supercell was still producing tornadoes, albeit much weaker. An EF1 tornado touched down in Saline County at 6:48 p.m. before a new mesocyclone formed to the south, producing an EF2 tornado shortly after the previous one had dissipated.^[2][16] After crossing the Ohio River into Western Kentucky, the supercell produced a final EF3 tornado south of Morganfield that resulted in four injuries.^[2][17] The supercell would then be absorbed into the mesoscale convective system over central Kentucky.^[18]

The Marion tornado was on the ground for just 17 minutes. Despite this, it reached high-end EF4 intensity, with peak wind speeds estimated at 190 mph (310 km/h). Seven non-life-threatening injuries were confirmed. The length of the tornado's path was 16.28 miles (26.20 km) with a peak width of 900 yards (820 m).^[2][1]

According to the Williamson County Emergency Management, the tornado damaged an estimated 35-40 homes, among which many were completely destroyed or uninhabitable; many were left without adequate supplies or shelter. Miraculously, just seven people were injured, none of which were life-threatening, and nobody was killed.^[22][23] In the immediate aftermath, first responders helped rescue people from the rubble, likely saving many lives^[24] and an overnight curfew was instituted by county officials for unsafe travel conditions.^[25] From there, efforts shifted towards long-term recovery efforts and helping the community rebuild after the disaster;^[26] volunteer groups contributed to the cleanup effort^[27] and organizations provided shelter and essential services to victims.^[25] The American Red Cross in Southern Illinois organized to provide social services, including temporary shelter and necessary supplies, and even senior support and mental health services to the victims of the tornado.^[22] Additionally, fundraisers were held to raise money for those who lost their homes in the event and to provide resources and relief for members of the community in the process of rebuilding.^[28][29]

Within the state of Illinois, this was the strongest tornado since the 2015 Rochelle–Fairdale tornado in northern Illinois.^[d][3] It was also the strongest tornado to impact the area serviced by the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky since the 2021 Western Kentucky tornado.^[30] Almost 43 years earlier, an F4 tornado struck farther north, devastating the city of Marion.^[31]

• Weather of 2025
• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of F4, EF4, and IF4 tornadoes
  • List of F4, EF4, and IF4 tornadoes (2020–present)
• Tornado intensity
• 1982 Marion tornado outbreak - A localized, but violent tornado outbreak around the Marion area over 43 years prior