Two people died in the aftermath of severe storm devastation when a confirmed tornado touched down in Illinois and Northwest Indiana Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS confirmed a tornado touched down near Wheatfield, Indiana, and winds reached 110 mph, an EF-1 intensity.
Multiple storms are being investigated for tornado activity as NWS crews survey storm devastation in the areas of Kankakee, Illinois, Aroma Park, Illinois, and Lake Village, Indiana.
The suspected tornadoes all originated from the same supercell, which traced from Pontiac, Illinois, to Wheatfield, Indiana, and then continued toward Knox, Indiana, reports NWS.
Additionally, officials report that the supercell produced hail ranging from two to four inches in size and hailstones measuring three to four inches in diameter. The largest hailstone measured 4.8 inches in Darien.
The NWS deployed survey crews in Kankakee County in Illinois and Newton and Jasper Counties in Indiana.
Lake Village Storm Devastation
Officials in Indiana confirmed two fatalities and multiple injuries in Lake Village, Indiana, from the storms. Officials report the area was “decimated” by a tornado that carved a path of destruction 45 to 50 miles long.
Sheriff Shannon Cothran in Newton County, Indiana, says the people who lost their lives were an elderly man and woman from the same family.
Storms left Lake Village with extensive damage that crews are just starting to clear. According to officials, the homes of four local firefighters were among the damaged properties.
The Lake Village electrical system was also damaged, leaving 2,500 customers without power. Additionally, 70 electrical poles were downed by the storm, making travel in the area dangerous.
Newton County fire departments began their second search and rescue on Wednesday morning.
Farmers and other animal owners were impacted by the storm due to damage to fences. Donkeys and goats were freed from their restricted areas, but have been located and returned to their homes.
North Newton High School in Lake Village has been designated as an emergency shelter for all those displaced by the storm. The Red Cross is offering assistance at the site. The Lake Village Fire Department is also a rallying point.
Indiana State Police have been deployed to assess damage and offer assistance where needed. Residents have been advised to stay home.
“We understand the human curiosity, but we ask that they also understand that their presence going out to be curious also hinders the response and mobility of the responders,” Cothran says.
Kankakee County Storm Devastation
Kannakee County Sheriff Mike Downey says the county declared a state of emergency due to the storm devastation.
Downey reports that at least seven people suffered non-life-threatening injuries. No life has been lost or serious injuries incurred due to the storm.
The sheriff says shortly after 6 p.m. on Tuesday, rotation was observed northwest of Shebance, Illinois, and a tornado touched down around the Kankakee County Fairgrounds and traveled toward the Kankakee Public Safety Center and the Jerome Combs Detention Center. Both were damaged, “although minimally, all things considered.”
Aroma Park residents suffered the most severe damage. County officials say the tornado continued toward Kankakee Community College, crossed the river, and entered Aroma Park.
A resident reported that the tornado demolished her barn, “We had a big barn. We also got a solar farm out here in the field, and it’s just demolished,” she says.
“The force of the wind was just absolutely unbelievable, and that hail hit our roof, and it sounded like we were getting hit with bombs.”
All schools in Kankakee School District III were closed on Wednesday due to “widespread storm impacts, including power outages and damage,” according to a social media post.
Kankakee Community College also posted on social media, announcing that its Riverfront campus, the manufacturing and industrial technology center, and its north and south extension centers are closed.
Sources:
CBS News: 2 dead after tornadoes in Kanakee, Illinois and Northwest Indiana overnight; NWS confirms EF-1 in Jasper Co.
WGN-TV: PHOTOS: Severe weather hits Chicagoland with storm damage, golf-ball-sized hail
PBS: Tornadoes kill 2 in northwestern Indiana and raze buildings in Kankakee, Illinois
Featured Image Courtesy of poo dog’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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