IL

Storm restoration across Kankakee County

Kankakee County sits in the heart of the northern Illinois severe weather corridor, making it one of the most storm-exposed counties in the state. Tornadoes are a recurring and serious threat: the county has a documented history stretching from the F4 that killed one and injured 70 in 1963 through the March 2026 outbreak that produced an EF-3 tracking through Kankakee and Aroma Park, along with record-breaking hail exceeding 6 inches in diameter - potentially the largest ever recorded in Illinois. Derechos compound the risk, most notably the July 15, 2024 event that drove wind gusts of 92 mph through northern Kankakee County and spawned embedded tornadoes, producing widespread structural and tree damage across the county. The Kankakee River runs the length of the county and creates persistent flash and riverine flooding, particularly through the channelized stretches near Momence and the low-lying areas of Aroma Park and Pembroke Township; heavy spring rain events regularly push the river to flood stage. Winter storms deliver ice accumulation, heavy snow, and blizzard-strength winds, with the county's flat, open agricultural terrain offering no topographic protection from fast-moving systems tracking northeast across the Illinois prairie.