A powerful and dangerous tornado carved a destructive path through Northwest Indiana on the evening of Thursday, June 11, 2026, sending residents scrambling for cover as the National Weather Service issued urgent tornado warnings for Lake and Porter counties. The storm — part of a massive severe weather outbreak battering the Chicago area and surrounding region — left behind widespread damage, mass power outages, and shaken communities across NW Indiana.
What Happened: Tornado Confirmed Over Lake County Thursday Evening
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Chicago issued a Tornado Warning for Lake County in Northwest Indiana, which remained in effect until 8:00 PM CDT Thursday. According to the NWS, a confirmed tornado was located over St. John and near Schererville at approximately 7:15 PM CDT, moving northeast at 25 mph. A follow-up advisory at 7:25 PM CDT confirmed the tornado had shifted over Schererville and near Merrillville, accelerating to 30 mph as it pushed northeast.
Officials classified the tornado as “large and damaging,” warning that flying debris posed a serious threat to anyone caught outside. The NWS cautioned that mobile homes would be damaged or destroyed, while roofs, windows, and vehicles were also at serious risk. Tree damage was described as likely throughout the warning zone.
Communities in the Path of the Tornado
The tornado’s northeast track put several densely populated NW Indiana communities directly in harm’s way. According to the NWS warning issued Thursday evening, the storm was expected to impact:
- Merrillville and Schererville around 7:20 PM CDT
- Crown Point, Lake Dalecarlia, and Dyer around 7:30 PM CDT
- Winfield and St. John around 7:40 PM CDT
- Gary, Hobart, and Lake Station around 7:30–7:35 PM CDT
- Portage and New Chicago around 7:35 PM CDT
- Lakes of the Four Seasons also listed as a location in the storm’s path
Residents in all of these areas were urged to take cover immediately — moving to a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy structure.
NWS Tornado Watch: Lake, Porter, LaPorte Counties All on Alert
The tornado warning was just one piece of a broader, sweeping tornado watch across the region. The NWS issued a Tornado Watch for Lake, Porter, Benton, Jasper, and Newton counties in Indiana until 9:00 PM CDT Thursday, and a separate Tornado Watch for LaPorte County that extended until 1:00 AM CT Friday, June 12.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) had placed the entire NW Indiana and Chicago metro region under a “Moderate Risk” — a rare Level 4 out of 5 — for severe weather on June 11. Forecasters warned the storms had the potential to produce damaging winds up to 80 mph, large hail exceeding 2 inches in diameter, and what the NWS described as “violent tornadoes,” including EF-4 and EF-5 strength events.
Massive Power Outages Hit NW Indiana Communities
The toll on the power grid was staggering. NIPSCO, the regional utility serving Northwest Indiana, reported tens of thousands of customers without power following the initial storm. Power outages were concentrated in Lake and Porter counties, with among the hardest-hit communities including Gary, Lowell, Portage, Michigan City, Merrillville, Lake Station, Hobart, Highland, Schererville, Griffith, and St. John.
NIPSCO confirmed that all available crews were deployed to assess damage and restore power, though the company said the extent of the destruction made it impossible to provide a timeline for full restoration. Officials noted that additional rounds of severe weather were expected Thursday evening into Friday, further complicating repair efforts.
Part of a Larger Midwest Severe Weather Outbreak
Thursday’s tornado in NW Indiana was not an isolated event. The broader storm system impacted tens of millions of people from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic. The SPC elevated parts of the Midwest to a Moderate Risk (Level 4 of 5) of severe weather — an uncommon and serious designation. The Enhanced Risk zone covered northern Indiana, northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and the Great Lakes region.
Earlier in the week, an EF-1 tornado had ripped through Freeland, Michigan on June 9, damaging 40 homes. As storms continued to push east on Thursday, Illinois State Police confirmed a tornado also touched down in Streator, Illinois, destroying several homes, and a ground stop was issued at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago until 7:15 PM due to the severity of the weather.
A Flood Watch was simultaneously in effect for Lake and Porter counties in Indiana until 11:00 PM Thursday, and a Flood Advisory was issued for the same counties through late Thursday evening.
Historical Context: NW Indiana and Tornado Risk
Northwest Indiana sits in a region historically vulnerable to tornado activity. According to the NWS, June is one of the peak months for tornado activity in Indiana. The combination of warm, moist air from the south colliding with cooler atmospheric conditions creates ideal supercell thunderstorm environments — precisely the conditions forecasters described as present on June 11, 2026, with a very moist and unstable air mass, strong wind shear, and a short-wave trough driving energy into the region from the northern Rockies.
The June 11 event follows a deadly tornado outbreak that struck Newton County in NW Indiana earlier in 2026, when two people were killed and dozens of structures were damaged or destroyed. That storm also caused widespread NIPSCO power outages and required a large-scale emergency response.
Safety Reminders: What to Do During a Tornado Warning
With tornado warnings continuing to be issued across the region, emergency officials and the NWS are reminding residents of critical safety steps:
- Go to the basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building immediately upon a tornado warning
- Stay away from windows at all times during the storm
- Do not shelter in mobile homes — relocate to a solid structure before the storm arrives
- Monitor the NWS and local media for real-time updates and when it is safe to go outside
- Avoid downed power lines after the storm passes and report damage to local authorities and NIPSCO
What’s Next: More Severe Weather Still Possible
As of Thursday evening, a second round of severe weather was forecast to impact the NW Indiana region later Friday, primarily between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM CDT. The NWS noted that damaging winds and large hail would be the main threats Friday, though a tornado could not be ruled out for areas south of US-6. Residents were urged to remain on alert and not let their guard down even as crews worked overnight to restore power and clear debris.
Have you or someone you know been impacted by Thursday’s tornado in NW Indiana? Share your experience in the comments below and stay with us for the latest updates as the situation continues to develop.