MT. VERNON/CHARLESTON, IL. – The National Weather Service has confirmed at least three tornadoes from Sunday, June 21, 2026, storms in Southern Illinois and western Kentucky, including an EF3 that killed two Jefferson County residents, while survey crews continue assessing additional reports of tornado activity.
An EF3 tornado (Enhanced Fujita Scale) has estimated wind speeds of 136 to 165 mph.
The National Weather Service findings show the strongest tornado tracked from north-central Jefferson County eastward into far western Wayne County, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky. The agency said the tornado had estimated peak winds of 140 mph and a track of about 14 miles based on a preliminary assessment. The weather service told First Alert 4 that the tornado that moved through the county Sunday and killed two people has been rated an EF3.
The tornado moved through the northern part of Jefferson County near Dix, north of Mount Vernon, meteorologists said.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said two county residents died in a tornado that struck the area Sunday night, June 21, 2026. The victims were identified as 83-year-old Delores B. Shelton of 19267 N. Ranch Lane in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, and 62-year-old Sarita L. Kimble of 14650 E. July Road in Mt. Vernon. The sheriff’s office also said five people were injured.
“Three residences were destroyed, with many others suffering damage of varying degrees,” the sheriff’s office said. The persons were killed as a direct result of the storm in two of the destroyed residences, one in each, both single-wide trailers.
“Volunteer groups are working with government officials to assist with clean-up efforts in the affected areas,” the sheriff’s office said.
“The Sheriff and his staff send their condolences to the family and friends of Delores Shelton and Sarita Kimble,” the sheriff’s office added.
Elsewhere, the National Weather Service in St. Louis confirmed an EF0 tornado track just north of Vernon, Illinois, near the Fayette-Marion county line.
The weather service also confirmed an EF1 tornado that tracked eastward through rural Marion County near Kinmundy shortly after 4:30 p.m. Sunday. It caused tree damage and significantly damaged a farm outbuilding, and the National Weather Service said video of the tornado showed it was multi-vortex.
Officials said four tornadoes were spotted Sunday, and survey crews are still working to confirm whether all of them touched down and to rate their severity on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
EF2 Tornado Hit Charleston, Part Of Mattoon
The latest confirmations come after the National Weather Service said Friday, June 19, 2026, that an EF2 tornado hit Charleston on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, and part of Mattoon. That tornado traveled just under 14 miles, with peak wind speeds of 116 mph and a maximum width of 800 yards.
In Charleston, State Farm opened a customer care site on Saturday, June 20, 2026, to help expedite the claims-filing and recovery process for residents affected by the storm. The site is in the County Market parking lot at 551 W. Lincoln Ave. and will continue operating Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Charleston Police Department also advised that rolling road closures were taking effect immediately as heavy equipment began removing storm debris from the boulevard. Police told residents to observe all road closures.
More than 20 tornadoes have occurred in Illinois over the past two weeks.
