Tornadoes rip through Chicago-area, NW Indiana, killing 2 and leaving widespread damage
Tornadoes devastate Chicago-area, NW Indiana communities
At least four tornadoes ripped through parts of Chicago's suburbs and Northwest Indiana on Tuesday evening, leaving two people dead.
NEWTON COUNTY, Ind. - Two people were killed after at least four tornadoes touched down across parts of Illinois and Indiana during severe storms that moved through the Chicago area on Tuesday.
Tornadoes hit Illinois, Indiana
What we know:
Forecasters said the tornadoes were likely produced by the same supercell thunderstorm that tracked from near Pontiac, Illinois, through Kankakee County and into northwest Indiana before continuing toward Knox, Indiana. Suspected tornado touchdowns were reported near Pontiac, south of Kankakee, and in the communities of Lake Village and Wheatfield in Indiana.
Late Wednesday, the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-3 tornado touched down Tuesday night beginning southwest of Kankakee and ending northeast of Roselawn, Ind. Winds reportedly reached near 150 mph.
Reported injuries:
Just before 7 p.m., an elderly couple died after their Lake Village home in the 8000 block of CR 600 West was struck and destroyed by a tornado. The Newton County Indiana Coroner's Office identified the couple as Edward Kozlowski, 89, and Arlene Kozlowski, 84.
They died from multiple blunt force trauma, according to the coroner, and an autopsy is scheduled for Friday morning in Lafayette.
Several others in the area were "very injured," officials announced during a press conference Wednesday morning. Indiana State Police said the couple's identities will not be released until their family has been notified.
Storm damage updates:
"Total devastation. There were houses that were collapsed. There were people trapped in houses. There's livestock loose. Pretty much anything you can imagine you've seen before on newscasts, on videos — it's out there," said Rob Churchill, Lake Township Volunteer Fire Department.
2 killed in tornado that touched down in Newton County, Indiana
Indiana officials said two people were killed and several others were injured in last night's tornado in Newton County.
Late Wednesday afternoon, Newton County officials said they've searched 235 structures so far, with 106 damaged, 32 destroyed, 23 with minor damage and 18 affected. No others have been found injured or deceased.
There were seven hazmat incidents reported and 11,088 NIPSCO customers were without power. As of 4 p.m., there were 1,244 NIPSCO customers without power in Newton County. There are 130 utility poles that will need to be replaced.
The Newton County sheriff also confirmed that there were contractor scams circulating in the area, starting around 2 a.m.
Another tornado touched down in Kankakee about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and was on the ground on the north side of Hopkins Park, according to the National Weather Service.
The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office said the tornado touched down south of Kankakee near the Kankakee Fairgrounds and continued northeast, crossing the Kankakee River into Aroma Park.
Nine people across Kankakee County sustained minor injuries due to the storms. On Wednesday morning, Kankakee County officials said there had been no fatalities.
A National Weather Service survey crew confirmed at least one tornado from Tuesday’s severe weather event in northwest Indiana. The EF-1 tornado occurred near Wheatfield, Indiana. Preliminary information indicates it began south of Stoutsburg and ended near Dunns Bridge, with peak winds estimated around 110 mph just south of Wheatfield.
The weather service said additional details about the tornado’s starting and ending points, as well as its peak width, will be released after further analysis.
Multiple survey crews continue to assess damage across the forecast area, including near Kankakee, Aroma Park, Lake Village, Roselawn and De Motte. Officials noted that all severe weather information remains preliminary and subject to change until it is finalized and published in Storm Data in the coming months.
Residents and motorists are urged to limit travel because of downed power lines, trees and other debris.
Thousands of residents were hit with power outages in Kankakee and parts of northwest Indiana.
Those wishing to report property damage in Kankakee County can use this link.
The National Weather Service plans to send three storm survey teams into the field Wednesday to assess damage and confirm the tornadoes. Crews will focus on Kankakee County in Illinois, as well as Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana.
9 hurt, homes heavily damaged by tornado in Kankakee County
Kankakee County officials reported that nine people suffered minor injuries Tuesday night as a tornado touched down in the south suburb.
Region pelted by hail
Dig deeper:
Meteorologists said the same storm system also produced destructive hail across parts of the region.
The supercell responsible for the tornadoes dropped hail ranging from 2 to 4 inches in diameter along a path stretching from Pontiac to the Illinois-Indiana state line. A trained storm spotter in Kankakee reported a hailstone measuring 6 inches in diameter, which could become a new Illinois state record if it is officially verified.
Large hail pummels Chicago's western suburbs during storms
Parts of Chicago's western suburbs were hit with large hail, some of which was up to the size of a baseball.
A second supercell storm produced large hail from Bolingbrook to Darien, with stones measuring between 3 and 4 inches in diameter. The largest reported hailstone from that storm measured 4.8 inches in Darien.
The National Weather Service said it is continuing to collect data and will provide additional updates as damage surveys and hail reports are verified.
The Source: The information in this report came from the National Weather Service, the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office, the Newton County Sheriff's Office and Indiana State Police.