Tornadoes Cut Path Of Destruction Through North Central Illinois Thursday Night

By aaroncynic in News on Apr 10, 2015 3:30PM

Photo: National Weather Service courtesy of Walker Ashely

Powerful storms and tornados ripped through northern Illinois yesterday, leaving at least one person dead and sending nearly another dozen to the hospital. According to the National Weather Service, at least two tornadoes were produced by two “long-lived supercell thunderstorms” that cut a path of destruction through about a 50-mile area, including the communities of Rochelle, Flagg Center, Fairdale and Kirkland. Officials say it’s likely the storms produced more than two tornadoes. Below is eyewitness video of the tornado that was headed towards and hit Rochelle yesterday:

"It looks like a bomb went off,” George Gaulrapp, a spokesperson for Commonwealth Edison told NBC News. Power was shut off to the community of Fairdale to allow search and rescue teams to work. One woman, 67-year old Geraldine Schultz, was killed in her home. “She was a sweet lady,” a relative told the Chicago Tribune. So far, no other deaths have been reported, but the AP reports Sycamore Fire Chief Peter Polarek told reporters that crews were still looking for some people unaccounted for.

In Rochelle, some 20 miles south of Fairdale, 12 people were rescued after a restaurant, Grubsteakers, was flattened by a tornado. According to the Sun-Times, four employees and seven patrons hid in a storm cellar as the tornado leveled the building. Rescue teams managed to pull everyone to safety about two hours after the storms passed. Below is the aftermath of the restaurant damage this morning:

The National Weather Service says three survey teams are in the field today and will likely be in the field tomorrow to tally the damage. Almost every building in the town of Fairdale “sustained damage of some sort” and some homes were “leveled down to the slabs,” said Matthew Knott, a division chief for the Rockford Fire Department. "This town is absolutely devastated," he told NBC. Rockford Fire Department shared images last night as they struggled to get access to the area due to damage and debris.

Meanwhile, hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at O’Hare airport on Thursday, along with a handful at Midway airport as well. NBC reports violent storms cut a large pathway through a 1,500-mile arc of the country, producing at least 10 tornadoes, grapefruit-sized hail and winds of up to 80 mph. Below are more photos of the storm damage from the area last night and this morning.

Additional reporting by Lisa White