Severe weather swept across Illinois on August 16–17, 2025, leaving behind a path of hail up to 3 inches in diameter, winds up to 70 mph, and tornado touchdowns. Thousands of homes across northern Illinois, including the Chicago metro, Rockford, and Champaign areas, were impacted.
As a licensed Illinois roofing and restoration contractor, we’ve broken down the official NOAA SPC storm reports to help property owners understand the scope of damage — and how to protect your home and your claim.
Download your Illinois Storm Impact Summary – August 16–17, 2025
📌 Largest Hail in Illinois – August 16, 2025
According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), hail was the most destructive element of this outbreak:
- 3.00” (softball-sized) hail – 1 N Winslow, Stephenson County, IL at 12:33 AM
- 1.50” (golf ball-sized) hail – McHenry County, IL (Port Barrington) at 9:04 PM
- 1.50” hail – DuPage County, IL
- 1.25” hail – Cook County, IL (Chicago metro area)
📍 Counties affected by significant hail: Stephenson, McHenry, DuPage, Cook, Boone, Vermilion.
Why this matters: Hail over 1.0 inch meets the insurance industry’s threshold for roof and siding damage. At 2.0–3.0 inches, expect broken windows, dented gutters, and shredded shingles.
💨 Severe Winds – Up to 70 MPH in Chicagoland
Wind damage reports were widespread across Illinois and neighboring states:
- Chicago, IL metro area – winds up to 70 mph, impacting over 249,000 homes.
- Gary, IN area – up to 17,000 homes impacted by damaging winds.
- Indianapolis, IN – 35,000+ homes affected.
Local SPC reports confirmed:
- Tree and powerline damage in Cook, DuPage, McHenry, and Lake Counties.
- ASOS station KFLD in Fond du Lac, WI measured a 58 mph gust, confirming the strength of the system moving through.
Why this matters: Winds over 60 mph can lift shingles, cause hidden roof leaks, and compromise siding or gutters — even if damage isn’t immediately visible.
🌪️ Tornado Report – Champaign & Vermilion Counties
At 11:48 PM, a tornado was reported:
- 1 N Homer, Champaign County, IL → confirmed by photos and video.
- 3 ENE Homer, Vermilion County, IL → corrected continuation of the same storm.
- EF Scale: UNK (pending National Weather Service survey).
While no EF rating has yet been assigned, the event highlights the destructive nature of this system across east-central Illinois.
🏘️ Top Impacted Illinois Areas by Home Count
Based on Supercell Damage Area (SDA) analysis:
- Chicago, IL Area – 257,334 homes in hail swath; 249,379 homes in wind swath.
- Rockford, IL Area – 55,930 homes in hail swath.
- Champaign/Vermilion Counties – Tornado + hail overlap = high probability of severe property damage.
🔎 What Illinois Homeowners Should Do Now
- Inspect your property immediately – look for dented gutters, cracked siding, broken windows, and shingle granules in gutters.
- Document everything – take photos/videos from the ground.
- Call a licensed restoration contractor – insurance carriers often minimize hail/wind claims unless proper documentation, code references, and manufacturer requirements are submitted.
- File your claim quickly – most Illinois policies require prompt notice of loss.
💡 Why Work With Allied Emergency Services
At Allied Emergency Services, Inc., we specialize in storm damage restoration in Illinois. We’ve successfully helped property owners across Cook, DuPage, McHenry, Stephenson, Kane, Lake, and Vermilion Counties recover from severe weather.
✅ Licensed Illinois Roofing Contractor
✅ Experts in hail, wind, and tornado repairs
✅ Immediate emergency services (tarping, board-up, water mitigation)
✅ Full-service restoration (roofing, siding, windows, gutters, interiors)
📞 Why Contact Us Today
If your home or business was in the path of the August 16–17 storms, don’t wait for hidden damage to cause bigger problems.
We’re not just contractors — we’re insurance restoration specialists who specialize in restoring your loss to pre-loss condition.
When insurers lowball your claim, we bring building codes, manufacturer specifications, and legal expertise to the table.
One call does it all — from inspection to full rebuild.
Don’t wait until your damage gets worse.
Let Allied Emergency Services help you recover fast, fair, and fully.
If your home is located in any of the listed storm-affected zones, you may be eligible for full roof and siding replacement at no cost beyond your deductible.
📲 Call Allied Emergency Services at (800) 792-0212
🌐 Visit us: www.alliedemergencyservices.com
