Severe Weather in Illinois and Indiana: Tornadoes, Derechos, and OSHA Safety for Workers

Bad weather is nothing new to those of us who live and work in Illinois and Indiana, but this year’s severe and unprecedented weather season is breaking records.

Consider this: Illinois meteorologists have already confirmed over 220 tornadoes in the state since the beginning of the year. This is not only more tornadoes than the State of Illinois has experienced in an entire year, but forecasters are predicting that Illinois’ 2026 tornado season will break the current single-state record of Texas (with 244 tornadoes in 2015). Read, “Illinois already smashed its tornado record this year. Now, it’s nearing an all-time US record,” written by Jonathan Erdman and published by The Weather Channel on August 14, 2026.

The Severe and Unusual Weather of 2026 in Illinois and Indiana

Our part of the country is accustomed to high heat in the summers and blizzard-cold in our harsh winter months. However, things are popping up this year that are unexpected and outside the norm. Serious and extraordinary weather events in the past sixty days (think June to August 2026) include the following:

The Derecho of August 2026

Most of us understand terms like “hurricane,” “tornado” or “thunderstorm,” but Hoosiers and those living in most of northeastern Illinois are now well aware of the weather condition classified as a “derecho.” The term is defined by the National Weather Service as:

A derecho (pronounced similar to “deh-REY-cho”) is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to the strength of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath. As a result, the term “straight-line wind damage” sometimes is used to describe derecho damage. By definition, if the wind damage swath extends more than 240 miles (about 400 kilometers) and includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 km/h) or greater along most of its length, then the event may be classified as a derecho.

This month, on August 11, 2026, a derecho rammed its way through northeastern Illinois over into northwestern Indiana. Winds were clocked at 97 mph in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Wind gusts reached 99 mph in Gary, Indiana.

For more, read “NOAA says likely derecho hit northern Indiana. What is it?” written by Aubrey Wright of the Indianapolis Star and published by Yahoo News on August 12, 2026; and detailed coverage at “August 11, 2026: Derecho produces widespread wind damage and tornadoes across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana,” published by the National Weather Service on August 11, 2026.

The result? Winds caused lots of damage. And there has been record flooding in the area. Over 11 inches of rain have fallen in Indiana so far this month. Both Indiana and FEMA have declared the State of Indiana to be in a State of Emergency because of the derecho’s impact.

Also see, “Video captures Indiana derecho as severe wind gusts may have topped 80 mph,” written by Marie Perez and published at Yahoo.com on August 17, 2026.

The Tornado Outbreaks of June 2026

Before this, there were the tornadoes. They swarmed into Illinois and Indiana in two different two-day time periods.

In June 2026, the two sister states had 80 confirmed tornadoes on June 10 and June 11. Two dozen (24) tornadoes were documented within the Chicagoland area alone, making the record-books as the second-largest outbreak on record in the Chicago region. And some of these tornadoes were powerful: two EF-3s were on the ground, one in Woodford and Marshall Counties (half-mile wide) and another in Livingston and LaSalle Counties (multi-vortex). There were also several EF-1 tornadoes moving through Indiana during this same 48 hours.

A week later, they came again. During June 17 – June 18, another pack of tornadoes were confirmed in the area. Five tornadoes were confirmed in southern Indiana during that time, one an EF-1 with winds reaching 110 mph.

Read, “Substantial damage from tornadoes in 7 Indiana counties,” written by Michaela Springer and Gregg Montgomery and published by WISHTV on June 18, 2026; and “Illinois breaks all-time tornado record following June 17 storms,” written by Hannah Hudnall and published by Journal Star on June 18,, 2026.

Flash Flooding, Power Outages

Of course, with this strange and powerful series of weather events, there has been serious flooding in our local area alongside widespread power outages. The flooding in our Indiana and Illinois communities is “historic.” Read, “See damage, flooding from Illinois, Indiana derecho,” written by Brandi D. Addison and published by USA Today on August 14, 2026.

Moreover, reports are that over 50,000 utility customers in Illinois remained without power on August 13, 2026, with a corresponding 200,000 customers living without power in northwest Indiana. The numbers are being labelled “unprecedented.” Read, “NW Indiana dealing with ‘unprecedented’ damage to power grid after derecho,” written by James Neveau and published by NBC5Chicago on August 13, 2026. Power was still not restored for many as of August 16, 2026.

Duties of Safety and Care for Workers in Severe Weather Conditions

Many of us will continue to go to work each day, regardless of the serious and strange weather we are experiencing right now. Industrial workers in warehouses; factories; ports; and distribution centers are not calling in sick. Those working on many of our construction sites as well as in our steel mills and behind the wheel of our tractor-trailer trucks and big rigs are still punching that time clock.

And, alongside all these workers are those with special skills and expertise to deal with these kinds of emergencies. There will be linemen working to restore power, for example. Read, Electrician Heroes in Illinois and Indiana: Dangers Facing Linemen on the Job in Winter Storms.

Employers have special duties of safety and care under the law to keep workers safe from harm at all times, but particularly when there is an immediate and serious weather threat endangering the workplace.

While there is no special safety regulation for this situation, the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act does require the employer to take reasonable and prudent steps to keep their people safe.

Outdoor Worksites

For those working outdoors, workers should expect those with possession, custody, or control of aspects of that jobsite to do things like:

(1) being aware of the current weather threats (tornado, derecho);

(2) understanding their specific risks, like the high wind gusts of a derecho;

(3) educating workers on dangers like the “Lightning Rule” where any rumble of thunder means that lightning strikes are a real risk and workers should seek shelter and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder boom before returning to work;

(4) monitoring wind conditions and stopping work on cranes, roofs, etc. when winds hit or exceed 30 mph; and

(5) getting workers out of trenches, excavations, or low-lying areas of the worksite if heavy rain begins, to avoid workers being caught in a collapse caused by rising waters (see e.g., 29 CFR § 1926.651(h)).

Indoor Worksites

Workers on the job inside a facility should expect those with possession, custody, or control of aspects of that jobsite to do things like:

(1) being aware of the current weather threats (tornado, derecho);

(2) understanding their specific risks, like the high wind gusts of a derecho;

(3) having emergency paths established within the workplace for fast movement of the work force as needed;

(4) having a designated and well-tended shelter area within the worksite (interior breakroom, etc.) that will protect against high winds, etc. (see e.g., 29 CFR § 1910.38(c)(2));

(5) having a program in place for response to any tornado sirens or weather alarms (like shutting down machinery if it is safe to do so; staying away from the windows; etc.); and

(6) being ready for power outages within the facility with emergency lighting; flashlights; and designated personnel ready to guide others in the dark to a safe area (see, e.g., 29 CFR § 1910.37(b)(1)).

Under the state laws of Illinois and Indiana, all those with legal duties of safety and care for workers on the job during a severe weather event have a responsibility to take reasonable and prudent steps to keep them safe during the dangerous rain, wind, flooding, power-outage, etc.

The remarkable weather events Indiana and Illinois are experiencing in 2026 may be unique but the fact that they are unusual does not relieve these duties of care and protection. Workers hurt on the job during a derecho, tornado, or the flood or power-outage aftermath, may have legal claims to assert if these duties were disrespected or breached.