Tornado Hits Rivian’s Normal, Illinois R2 Plant, Company Says No Injuries

Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois was directly hit by a tornado over the weekend, and the company confirmed the damage to TechCrunch.

“A tornado damaged part of Rivian Automotive's factory in central Illinois over the weekend, according to a message sent to employees Sunday night by CEO RJ Scaringe that was viewed by CNBC”

CNBC

Rivian said nobody was injured, and it described the tornado as having an EF-1 intensity rating.

CNBC

The storm struck what Rivian refers to as “Building 2,” where the company makes its R2 SUV, and Rivian paused operations in the building while staff assessed the extent of the damage.

In a Sunday night email to staff viewed by TechCrunch, CEO RJ Scaringe wrote, “Thank you to our team members on site who sought safe shelter and followed our emergency management protocols when the tornado alarms sounded.”

Scaringe added, “I am proud of how everyone came together, not just to follow safety protocols, but to support one another and lead the cleanup and repair efforts with such care and determination.”

TechCrunch reported that a large section of the roof came down inside the facility, with the company not saying whether the temporary shutdown will affect the timing of the rollout of the R2.

Rivian’s spokesperson Marina Hoffmann told TechCrunch, “Once we secure the impacted area, we anticipate resuming operations in Building 2 (specifically for R2) this week,” while also saying operations at other facilities continue as planned.

Multiple outlets tied the damage at Rivian’s Normal plant to a specific EF-1 tornado and placed it within a broader severe-weather window across the upper Midwest.

CNBC reported that the tornado touched down on the plant and that confirmed tornadoes near the factory Friday night were classified as EF1, with estimated peak winds of 100 mph, according to NWS.

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Quartz described an EF-1 tornado that hit a building used for R2 parts storage and logistics, and it said Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe wrote in a Sunday evening message to staff that the affected section had been taken offline temporarily with a return to normal activity anticipated before the end of the current week.

Quartz also said the rest of the Normal facility, including its vehicle assembly operations, remained on schedule throughout the disruption.

The Electric Vehicles outlet added that the National Weather Service confirmed the tornado rated EF-1 with peak wind speeds of 110 mph, stronger than the 85 mph gust initially recorded by anemometer on Friday night.

That same source said the tornado touched down on the far west side of Normal at 8:57 PM CDT and tracked 10.3 miles northeast through the town, causing significant tree damage and flipping a semi-trailer on I-55 before entering Towanda.

It also reported that it was one of at least five confirmed tornadoes in McLean County that night, according to NWS survey crews, and that local authorities declared a state of emergency on Saturday after the storm left thousands of Ameren Illinois and Corn Belt Energy customers without power.

In the same account, Normal Mayor Chris Koos described the damage to Rivian’s facility as “significant” but not “catastrophic,” and he told WGLT, “They’ll have some repair work to do.”

The tornado damage landed at a critical moment for Rivian’s R2 rollout, with multiple reports emphasizing that Building 2 was tied to R2 logistics and that the company expected to restart operations there within days.

“Severe storms moved through central Illinois over the weekend, causing damage atRivian’s manufacturing facility in Normal”

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TechCrunch said the tornado hit a newer part of the factory primarily used for R2 logistics such as deliveries of parts, and it reported that Rivian has paused operations in the building and expects to start back up sometime this week.

CNBC similarly said the affected area was being used for parts storage and logistics for Rivian's upcoming R2, which it called a crucial product expected to be on sale this spring, and it quoted Scaringe saying operations in the damaged area are expected to resume this week.

Gizmodo framed the timing as “weeks before crucial launch,” stating that Building 2 is where Rivian is producing its R2 vehicles and that Rivian forced the company to close the facility.

Quartz reported that the closure was confined solely to the area designated for R2 parts and logistics, and it said the rest of the Normal facility, including vehicle assembly operations, remained on schedule.

The Electric Vehicles outlet added that the company began producing saleable R2 units earlier this month, with VIN numbers being spotted, and it said employee deliveries of the Performance Launch Edition are scheduled for this month while customer configurations opening in May.

TechCrunch reported that the R2 SUV is supposed to help Rivian stop losing money, and it said the company has estimated it will sell between 20,000 and 25,000 of them by the end of this year.

TechCrunch also said production of the R2 is starting out at the Normal plant alongside existing R1 vehicles and that Rivian is getting ready to build an entirely new factory outside of Atlanta, Georgia for R2 and the forthcoming R3 hatchback.

In that same TechCrunch account, Rivian broke ground on the Georgia factory late last year and is supposed to start vertical construction this year, with production expected to begin in 2028.

While all outlets agreed the tornado hit Rivian’s Normal plant and that Building 2 was affected, they diverged on how the damaged area was characterized and how the company described its immediate operational posture.

TechCrunch said the tornado hit a newer part of the factory primarily used for R2 logistics such as deliveries of parts, and it reported that Rivian paused operations in the building and expected to start back up sometime this week.

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Gizmodo said Rivian confirmed a tornado struck and damaged what it calls Building 2, forcing the company to close the facility, and it added that photos uploaded to a Rivian forum appear to show part of the facility’s ceiling collapsed.

Quartz described the affected section as taken offline temporarily, with return to normal activity anticipated before the end of the current week, and it stated that the rest of the Normal facility, including vehicle assembly operations, remained on schedule throughout the disruption.

The Electric Vehicles outlet provided a more granular operational description, saying the closure confined solely to the area designated for R2 parts and logistics and that output of R1 trucks and the company’s electric commercial vans continued without interruption.

CNBC also emphasized that operations in the damaged area were expected to resume this week while other major portions of the plant such as assembly lines were operating as planned.

At the same time, the Electric Vehicles outlet reported that aerial footage and interior photos showed a partially collapsed wall and roof, water on the factory floor, and exposed structural beams where roof panels had been torn away.

It further reported that two users who identified themselves as Rivian employees commented on a Reddit thread, with one posting under the handle ‘International-Art360’ disputing earlier comments and describing the damaged section as a receiving area where trucks are unloaded.

The same source said a second user, posting as ‘JDDoss01,’ wrote that the damaged area was adjacent to their production line, underscoring how accounts of what was inside the damaged section varied even among commenters.

Beyond the immediate tornado response, the reporting connected the disruption to Rivian’s longer-term business plans and its financial trajectory, while also detailing how the company and local authorities framed recovery.

“Rivian announced earlier this year that its new mid-size R2 electric SUV was set to go on sale this spring, but nature may have just thrown a wrench into those plans”

Gizmodo

TechCrunch said Rivian has invested time, resources, and capital over the last five years to reduce the cost of manufacturing vehicles in its current R1 portfolio, and it reported that Rivian still loses money every quarter.

Gizmodo

It also said the company has estimated it will sell between 20,000 and 25,000 R2s by the end of this year, and it described the R2 launch as a bet on a “hot start,” with production starting at the Normal plant alongside existing R1 vehicles and the electric delivery van.

TechCrunch further reported that Rivian is getting ready to build an entirely new factory outside of Atlanta, Georgia for R2 and the forthcoming R3 hatchback, with production expected to begin in 2028.

Quartz and CNBC both emphasized that the rest of the Normal facility remained on schedule, with Quartz saying vehicle assembly operations stayed on schedule and CNBC saying other major portions such as assembly lines were operating as planned.

The Electric Vehicles outlet added that local authorities declared a state of emergency on Saturday after the storm left thousands of Ameren Illinois and Corn Belt Energy customers without power, and it said the declaration would help accelerate recovery efforts and ensure resources were deployed efficiently.

In that same account, Normal Mayor Chris Koos told WGLT that “They’ll have some repair work to do,” while Rivian’s CEO RJ Scaringe wrote to staff that he was “incredibly relieved to share that there were no injuries at our plant.”

The Electric Vehicles outlet also reported that Rivian’s Normal facility is its only operating plant, producing all of its R1T pickups, R1S SUVs, and Amazon delivery vans alongside the new R2, and it said the upcoming Georgia plant is only scheduled to begin production in two years.

Finally, the Electric Vehicles outlet described Rivian’s R2 lineup details, including that the R2 Performance has a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain producing 656 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque, a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds, and an EPA-estimated range of up to 330 miles.