| Chicago Sun-Times | - |
National
Weather Service meteorologist Matt Friedlein said the agency confirmed
that a strong tornado touched down near Coal City - around central
Grundy County and far western Will County - with wind speeds between 113
and 157 mph.
At least 5 dead as tornadoes cause widespread damage in Illinois
BY MATT MCKINNEY, JON SEIDEL AND ALLISON HORTON
Staff Reporters
November 17, 2013 8:56AM
Residents takes clothes out of
their damaged home on Elgin Avenue where a tornado ripped through
Washington, IL in Tazewell County near Peoria November 17, 2013. |
Jessica Koscielniak ~ Sun-Times
- Weather Live Blog
- Photos, reactions as severe storms hit Chicago area
- VIDEO: Bears fan discusses weather delay; rain-soaked view from press box
- ‘Starting over at age 75′ after tornado hits Washington, Ill.
Article Extras
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Updated: November 17, 2013 10:43PM
Strong thunderstorms
battered the Chicago area and delayed the Bears game — but the worst
damage was Downstate in central Illinois.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matt
Friedlein said the agency confirmed that a strong tornado touched down
near Coal City — around central Grundy County and far western Will
County — with wind speeds between 113 and 157 mph. That EF-2 tornado was
part of the same storm that produced the unconfirmed reports in
Washington, Frankfort, as well as Dana, in rural LaSalle County,
according to the weather service.
As many as 16 tornadoes touched down across the
state from the southern tip, to as far north as Frankfort, near the Will
and Cook county border, Friedlein said. Weather spotters near
Washington, a suburb of Peoria, reported a funnel cloud touched down in
the area Sunday. But crews were waiting for daylight to survey the
damage and make a final determination, he said.
Officials confirmed that five people were killed
when tornadoes hit central and southern Illinois. One person was killed
in the the central Illinois city of Washington, where a tornado
destroyed several blocks of houses. In Washington County in southern
Illinois, the coronor said an elderly man and his sister were killed
when a tornado struck their farm house in the town of New Minden, about
50 miles southeast of St. Louis.
Patti Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Illinois
Emergency Management Agency, said two people were killed in Massac
County in far southern Illinois. She did not have further details.
In Downstate Washington, working under a full moon,
Phil and Carmen Jones carried “the important stuff” to their car Sunday
evening.
They were in church when the storm hit. Just before
the service, Carmen Jones recalled, the preacher told everyone to go to
the basement.
“We were singing in the basement with all the kids,” she said.
When they returned home, they found the house they
have lived for 40 years had been destroyed. Their two Yorkshire terriers
were under their bed.
“I found them under the bed . . . where good puppies belong,” Phil Jones said.
Not sure where they would sleep tonight, the Jones
packed up their dogs and their clothes in the back of their sedan. Phil
Jones did his best to shut the door — the roof is gone, their garage is
missing and the windows are blown out.
“Nothing like starting over at age 75,” Phil Jones said.
“We don’t have to rip that wallpaper off now,” Carmen replied.
Thompson said the state’s emergency operations
center was activated Sunday afternoon in Springfield. Personnel were
dispatched to Washington to work closely with local responders there.
Emergency communications equipment was set up to help with
communications among first-responders there. Technical rescue teams also
were sent to Washington.
Gov. Pat Quinn was handling phone calls from
emergency officials across the state, spokeswoman Brooke Anderson said.
He canceled his Monday schedule to tour hardest-hit areas.
The tornadoes did so much damage that Sen. Dick
Durbin, D-Ill., said “it is clear that coordinated local, state and
federal resources will be needed to rebuild.”
Many of those injured in Washington were taken to
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in nearby Peoria. The hospital disaster
response team was dispatched to Washington, where they set up a triage
station to handle incoming wounded. The hospital treated 37 patients,
three of whom remained in serious condition Sunday evening, hospital
spokeswoman Amy Paul said.
A resident of Washington said a tornado wiped out
his house and his entire neighborhood in a matter of seconds. Michael
Perdun told the Associated Press that when he heard the sound of the
tornado bearing down on his neighborhood Sunday morning he only had time
to run downstairs, grab his 10-year-old daughter and crouch in the
laundry room until the tornado swept through. When he walked up the
stairs, only the wall of his fireplace was standing.
A Washington alderman told Chicago’s WBBM-AM Radio that several people were injured and hundreds of homes were damaged.
Southwest of Chicago, an undetermined number of
people suffered minor injuries Sunday, buildings were damaged in Coal
City and people were rescued after being trapped in a church in Diamond.
Fences were knocked down, traffic lights were out and tree limbs were
felled in some neighborhoods, while others escaped unscathed.
Coal City firefighter Nick Doerfler confirmed
buildings were knocked down by the storm, which touched down near
Diamond, Berta Road and along Route 113 and Interstate 55 southwest of
Joliet.
Doerfler said people had been injured, but nobody was reported killed.
The Chrome Rack bar and the Assembly of God church
in Diamond also suffered significant damage, said Chuck Pelkie, a
spokesman for the Will County emergency management agency. An unknown
number of people were trapped in the church at one point, he said, but
they were rescued and only minor injuries were reported.
Seven houses in Manhattan suffered major damage, but only minor injuries were reported, Pelkie said.
In Chicago, Friedlein said, winds up to 59 mph were
reported at Midway Airport. But those weren’t recorded until after the
storm hit the Chicago area between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The area
generally saw between a half-inch to an inch of rain, but he said
localized areas saw as much as three inches of rainfall.
In the southwest suburbs, authorities were
surveying the damage left in the wake of the storm. Frankfort Police
Chief John Burica reported said tree limbs knocked down power lines
early Sunday afternoon. No injures, no flooding or major damage have
been reported at this time, the chief said.
“For the size of the storm, we’re in good shape,” Burica said.
While the Bears-Ravens game started on time — just
after noon — play was stopped and the seating area was cleared. Fans
were passing the time in the covered concourse area, until the game
resumed at 2:25 p.m., officials said. The National Football League
makes the decision about any game delays, officials at Soldier Field
said.
“We’ve been season ticket holders forever and this
is the first time I’ve seen it this bad,” said Rebecca Marino, 26, a
store manager from Downers Grove, who came to the game with her sister.
“They made an announcement to seek shelter and we decided to leave. Our
lives are more important than this,” she said.
Kevin Berglund had booked a South Shore Line return
trip to his Chesterton, Ind., home, but worried during the delay that
he’d miss the train. He stood in the concourse beyond the south end
zone, people watching and connecting with friends.
“We’re dedicated fans,” he said.
Those crammed under overhangs and into the United
Club during the delay watched television, bought food and drinks and
even, outdoors, snuck cigarette sessions despite Soldier Field policy.
Jackie Vitiello joked that she didn’t know “what’s going on outside,” as she was sipping a beer inside the United Club.
Andy Murphy of Wauconda admitted to being bored during the day, but vowed to stick it out.
“We have a deficit to make up,” he said. “We’ll stay the night if we have to.”
Before kickoff Sunday, Chicago’s Office of
Emergency Management and Communications issued an alert urging Bears
fans attending the game to take extra precautions to ensure their
safety.
During the storms, no flights were allowed to leave
or enter both O’Hare or Midway airports, according to the city’s
Department of Aviation. Flights may be delayed up to an hour at both
airports.
The Metra Union Pacific Line trains were stopped at
12:30 p.m. Sunday becaues of high wind warnings, Metra spokesman
Michael Gillis said. The trains are expected to begin moving again soon.
Light rain is expected to continue into Monday, but the thunderstorms should move out by late afternoon Sunday, he said.
Contributing: Jessica Koscielniak, Mike
Deacon, Adam Jahns, Patrick Finley, Reema Amin, Susan Demar Lafferty,
Mike Nolan, Associated Press
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