Tornadoes and Historic Flooding Hit Minnesota and Wisconsin

Tornadoes and historic flooding are impacting Minnesota and Wisconsin, with severe weather continuing to threaten communities across the region.

According to NBC News, a confirmed tornado touched down near Rochester, Minnesota, on Friday, April 17, 2026, while historic flooding poses a growing threat to Wisconsin. The storm system brought dangerous conditions including large hail, damaging winds, and torrential rainfall, prompting emergency responses in multiple counties.

The National Weather Service warned of possible flooding from heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Kansas. In the Ohio Valley and eastern Great Lakes region, as many as 12 million people were under alert for severe thunderstorms.

In Wisconsin, swollen rivers have surged past major and record flood levels, forcing water rescues and triggering mandatory evacuations. The Muskegon River rose above record levels on Thursday morning, leading to evacuations for anyone remaining in the floodplain below Croton Dam in Newaygo County. Water rescues also occurred near Evart, Michigan, as rising waters impacted homes.

The flooding has been described as “unprecedented” by Michigan state Rep. Cam Cavitt, whose district includes several counties in northern Michigan experiencing historic river levels due to one of the wettest springs on record and melting snowpack.

In Illinois, the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to avoid the town of Lena due to downed trees and power lines blocking access. The National Weather Service office in Chicago confirmed a tornado was observed in the areas of Roscoe, South Beloit, and Rockton, all in northern Illinois.

Ahead of the storms, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in anticipation of severe weather impacts.

The severe weather outbreak follows more than three dozen tornado reports and over 300 incidents of large hail—some up to the size of softballs—earlier in the week. Lightning is also believed to have struck and killed a man in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Wednesday night, according to local police.

Officials continue to monitor river levels and storm threats as the multi-day severe weather pattern affects the central United States, with risks remaining for additional tornadoes, hail, wind, and flooding through the weekend.