FollowA tornado hit a small town in Illinois Thursday April 9, killing one woman and injuring eight more. Many homes were damaged, some of them being simply swept away by one of the several storms that hit the country recently.
DeKalb County Sheriff Roger A. Scott made a public announcement on Friday April 10 detailing the damage. He stated that between 15 to 20 homes in Fairdale, 80 miles northwest of Chicago, were destroyed by the tornado that hit the ground on Thursday evening at about 7 p.m.
According to Matthew Knott, chief of the Rockford Fire Department division said that almost all buildings in the town “sustained damage of some sort”.
Denni Miller, DeKalb County coroner, said one person lost her life. A 67-year-old woman was found dead inside her house. Out of precaution, all homes were evacuated and the electricity was shut down all across the area. A shelter was set by the Red Cross and Salvation Army at a high school.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Friedlein, at least two twisters crossed six counties in the north-central part of Illinois. A team will be sent to examine the damage in every area hit by the tornadoes. They will also asses the time during which the twisters stayed on the ground, their power and the resulted damage.
After hitting Illinois on Thursday, the storm and its cold front headed towards the northeast, leading to snow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula then sweeping through the Ohio Valley. On Friday morning, the storm system reached the Appalachian region with a probability of severe thunderstorms, but nowhere as intense as they were in the Midwest.
Chad Connell, Kirkland Community Fire District Chief described how he saw the tornado heading towards the town of Fairdale from his own porch. He said he’d never seen anything like that in his life.
According to Sheriff Brian Van Vickle the tornadoes also damaged 20 homes in Odge County.
In Rochelle, a town approximately 20 miles southwest of Fairdale, 12 people were caught in a storm cellar under a restaurant that collapsed during the storm.
Due to the severe weather, more than 850 flights at the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago had to be cancelled on Thursday. The city’s Midway International Airport Twelve was also forced to cancel twelve flights.
Image Source: CBS Chicago
