Confirmed tornado destroys home, damages 12–15 buildings and injures one in Crawford County, Illinois
A confirmed tornado struck Crawford County, Illinois, on the evening of Thursday, February 19, 2026, destroying a house near New Hebron and trapping occupants inside. Emergency crews responded as local authorities reported significant damage to structures and power infrastructure.
According to National Weather Service (NWS) storm reports, one residence near New Hebron was destroyed by the tornado, with occupants reported trapped in debris following the collapse. A mobile home in the same area was also overturned during the event, injuring one elderly woman, according to local media reports. Preliminary reports indicate that between 12 and 15 buildings sustained damage.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received a total of five tornadoes in Effingham and Crawford counties as of early February 20.
Storm reports by NWS Lincoln show a tornado at 15:07 LT on February 19 in Mason, Effingham County, followed by multiple tornado reports in Crawford County between 16:12 and 16:25 LT, including near Chauncey, New Hebron, and Flat Rock. One report at 16:24 LT described a mobile home rolled over with occupants trapped and three houses with roofs removed near New Hebron.
Another report at 16:25 LT indicated a house destroyed with occupants trapped approximately 2 km (1.2 miles) south of New Hebron. A later tornado was reported at 18:21 LT, approximately 6 km (3.7 miles) north of Bible Grove in Effingham County.
The storms were accompanied by large hail, with the largest confirmed hailstone measuring 5.08 cm (2 inches) in diameter in Dieterich, Effingham County, at 15:38 LT.
Additional hail reports ranged from 2.54 cm (1 inch) to 4.45 cm (1.75 inches) across Effingham, Clark, Crawford, Mason, Schuyler, Peoria, and Tazewell counties during the late afternoon and evening hours.
Funnel clouds were observed earlier in the event, including at 15:46 LT near Wheeler in Jasper County and at 18:58 LT approximately 3 km (2 miles) west of Newton in Jasper County.
Damage assessments and potential tornado ratings are pending.
Feature image credit: NWS
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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