August 11, 2026 was the strongest wind day of the season in our service counties. This page lists what the official records show, with links to the sources, and then covers what to do afterward. Track this and every 2026 event on our live storm map.
What the Reports Show
NWS Chicago local storm reports for August 11 total 279 across Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties (IEM local storm reports and SPC storm reports). The highest gust in the data is 97 mph at Sugar Grove in Kane County (NWS local storm report). The NWS Chicago event summary describes a derecho with widespread straight-line winds across northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Its peak gust, 99 mph at Gary, Indiana, was outside our service counties. The records list no hail report of 1 inch or more for the day.
The Tornado Reports
The local storm reports list six tornadoes in our counties. NWS Chicago's event summary counts eight confirmed tornadoes in its area, including some outside our counties, so the total depends on the source.
- EF-2 at Frankfort, Will County (NWS local storm report)
- EF-1 at Homer Glen, Cook County
- EF-1 at Homewood, Cook County (NWS local storm report)
- EF-1 at New Lenox, Will County
- EF-1 at Wilmington, Will County (NWS local storm report)
- EF-0 at Oswego, Kendall County
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Where the Wind Reports Were
Places named in the August 11 reports include Plainfield, Crete, Sugar Grove, Warrenville, Bolingbrook, Darien, Lisle and Frankfort Square. Towns in our storm records for the day include Tinley Park, Orland Park, Frankfort, New Lenox, Homer Glen and Oswego. A report doesn't say what happened to a particular roof. Wind can lift and crease shingles and break seal strips without removing them, which is hard to see from the ground. Our guide to storm damage on asphalt shingles shows what wind creasing looks like.
See this event in season context in our 2026 Chicagoland Storm Report. If rain followed the wind and you found water in your house, our guide to telling roof water from flood water explains the difference. Your policy sets its own terms for each, so check your declarations page.
What to Do Next
A free inspection gives you a photo report with measurements and damage locations, and it tells you whether the damage is likely to clear your deductible. Our claim vs out-of-pocket guide walks through that math. Your policy sets its own deadline to report a loss, so check your declarations page or ask your agent.
Local Contractor, Not a Storm Chaser
C&N Construction runs from 24 N Hillside Ave, Hillside, IL 60162. Permanent office, not a PO box. Licensed and insured in Illinois since 2015. Over 25,400 projects completed across Chicagoland with in-house W-2 crews. When we give you a warranty, we're still here to honor it.
After any storm, out-of-area crews sometimes canvass neighborhoods. Before you sign anything at your door, read what to do when a roofer knocks after a storm and how to tell a storm chaser from a local contractor. Anyone who offers to cover your deductible is proposing insurance fraud.