Davenport, Iowa – Residents across the Iowa-Illinois Corn Belt are closing out an unusually active stretch of August severe weather after tornadoes, a derecho and flash flooding repeatedly threatened communities and major transportation corridors.
According to the National Weather Service Quad Cities office, meteorologists issued thunderstorm warnings on seven consecutive days from Aug. 9-15, tying a record across more than 30 years of operations. That stretch included the Aug. 11 derecho and flash flooding south of Interstate 80 from Aug. 13-15.
Radar imagery from the derecho shows the storm complex advancing from the Quad Cities toward northern Illinois and Chicago during the morning. The broader 2026 severe weather list also includes an EF2 tornado near Fairbank in Buchanan County, Iowa, on Aug. 7.
Severe weather returned Aug. 21 when an EF0 tornado developed near DePue and Hennepin, Illinois. Photos published by the NWS show the funnel south of DePue near the Illinois River before it moved through or near a rock quarry.
The active season extends well beyond August. The Quad Cities NWS summary lists numerous significant thunderstorm and tornado events since March, including multiple rounds of damaging wind, large hail and tornadoes.
Emergency managers urge residents to keep multiple warning methods available as the severe weather season continues.
