Tornadoes, Severe Storms Slam Midwest as Weather Threat Continues Into Next Week

Tornadoes, Severe Storms Slam Midwest As Weather Threat Continues Into Next Week

Mother Nature’s throwing a tantrum, and the Midwest’s smack dab in the middle of it.

A powerful wave of severe storms is marching across the Plains and Midwest this week, and it’s not coming quietly. Think: tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail the size of golf balls. Yes, actual golf balls.

On Thursday night, parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana saw the skies light up with violent storms. Cities like Chicago and Milwaukee were caught in the mix, with tornado watches popping up faster than plot twists in a Netflix thriller.

According to The Weather Channel, it’s far from over. The chaos continues through early next week. Friday’s forecast? A stormy mess stretching from St. Louis to Nashville. And if you’re in Dallas, OKC, or Wichita — don’t get too comfy this weekend.

Meteorologists are calling it a “multiday siege.” That’s weather-speak for “it’s going to be rough for a while.” Tornadoes are on the menu, and not just the baby ones. We’re talking EF2 or stronger — the kind that flips trucks and rips off roofs.

The National Weather Service is urging everyone in the path to stay alert. Have a plan. Know where your safe spot is. Don’t sleep on this — literally. Some of these storms are hitting overnight.

And it’s not just twisters. These storms are serving up a full buffet: thunder, lightning, high-speed winds, and hail that’ll ruin your car’s paint job (and your mood).

It’s May — aka peak tornado season — so none of this is unusual. But that doesn’t mean you should shrug it off like a rebooted sitcom.

Severe weather risk continues across the Upper Midwest this afternoon.

Activity overall (despite a few confirmed, brief tornadoes so far in Minnesota) has remained limited within the tornado department due to unfavorable storm-scale interactions and dry thermodynamic profiles… pic.twitter.com/jxr8boSlnf

— Forecast Frontier (@frontierfcst) May 15, 2025

Tracking tornadoes across northern Illinois and the Chicago area today! https://t.co/KKj05AZSuy

— Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers (@ChicagoMWeather) May 15, 2025

“Make sure you’re getting alerts,” meteorologists advised on weather.gov. “And if a warning is issued, take shelter immediately.”

In other words: Don’t wait for the thunder to hit your TikTok feed. Just grab your emergency kit, head to the basement, and keep it safe out there.