APRIL 10, 2015
Dangerous storms hammered the Midwest on Thursday, spawning
at least one destructive tornado that tore through northern Illinois and killed
one person.
The Illinois towns of Fairdale, Rochelle and Kirkland
sustained major damage from a massive twister that reduced entire neighborhoods
to rubble. Several people were injured and a 67-year-old woman was killed
inside her Fairdale home Thursday night. It was a worst-case scenario for a
tiny town northwest of Chicago, and residents were left stunned by the
widespread damage.
In total, this multi-day severe weather event has killed at
least three people.
But this event isn't over yet. Severe weather will continue
to push east on Friday, and several major towns could see damaging storms as
the system pushes toward the East Coast.
"As the cold front pushes into the East Friday, the
primary severe threats transition to damaging straight-line winds and large
hail from the Chesapeake Bay to the northern Gulf Coast," said weather.com
meteorologist Jon Erdman. "While we can't rule out a tornado or two,
the tornado threat is much lower Friday than we've seen the past two
days."
The following is the latest on this severe system as we
continue into Day 4 on Friday.
Illinois
A massive tornado pushed through northern Illinois Thursday
evening, causing extensive damage and killing at least one. The Illinois Office
of Emergency Management told The Weather Channel the fatality, a 67-year-old
woman whose name hasn't been released, occurred in Fairdale.
"We literally heard that train sound, and I got my
three dogs into my bedroom, closed them in there, and my husband and I ran into
the food pantry underneath the stairwell, and that’s where we sat and watched
and waited," said Pamela Metcalf, Kirkland resident, in a Daily Chronicle
report. "The house shook like Dorothy in 'Wizard of Oz,' and when it got
quiet we peeked out the door and there was nothing there."
Fairdale, an unincorporated town of about 200 residents some
80 miles northwest of Chicago, is comprised of approximately 50 structures, and
Rockford Fire Department division chief Matthew Knott told The Chicago Tribune
that every one of the town's homes was damaged. He also noted that 17
structures were destroyed by the twister that hit the town at about 7:15 p.m.,
and at least seven people were injured.
Bye bye Fairdale.. pic.twitter.com/xzC8xcINjZ
— Michael Cusack (@MCusack_20) April 10, 2015
The State of Illinois Emergency Management Agency state
incident response team was dispatched to areas reporting storm damage, ABC
Chicago said.
"We’ve seen many storms and wind damage and houses
downed before, but nothing like this to my memory," DeKalb County Sheriff
Roger Scott told The Daily Chronicle.
Grubsteakers restaurant in Rochelle, southwest of Kirkland
and Fairdale, sustained heavy damage as the tornado ripped through the area.
The restaurant's owners, employees, patrons and a couple of bystanders were
trapped in the cellar for nearly 90 minutes, the report added.
Raymond Kramer, 81, told local media, "I stood at the
door taking pictures of the tornado coming at me, and finally the owner of the
restaurant said, 'Everybody in the basement right now!'," Kramer said.
"And no sooner did we get down there when it hit the building and laid a
whole metal wall on top of the doors where we went into the storm cellar."
Severe Thunderstorms Shift East Today
Meteorologist Ari Sarsalari explains how the line of severe
storms is moving eastward and the threats they bring for some major East Coast
cities.
Follow @Sean_Breslin
Dangerous storms hammered the Midwest on Thursday, spawning
at least one destructive tornado that tore through northern Illinois and killed
one person.
The Illinois towns of Fairdale, Rochelle and Kirkland
sustained major damage from a massive twister that reduced entire neighborhoods
to rubble. Several people were injured and a 67-year-old woman was killed
inside her Fairdale home Thursday night. It was a worst-case scenario for a
tiny town northwest of Chicago, and residents were left stunned by the
widespread damage.
In total, this multi-day severe weather event has killed at
least three people.
But this event isn't over yet. Severe weather will continue
to push east on Friday, and several major towns could see damaging storms as
the system pushes toward the East Coast.
"As the cold front pushes into the East Friday, the
primary severe threats transition to damaging straight-line winds and large
hail from the Chesapeake Bay to the northern Gulf Coast," said weather.com
meteorologist Jon Erdman. "While we can't rule out a tornado or two,
the tornado threat is much lower Friday than we've seen the past two
days."
The following is the latest on this severe system as we
continue into Day 4 on Friday.
Illinois
A massive tornado pushed through northern Illinois Thursday
evening, causing extensive damage and killing at least one. The Illinois Office
of Emergency Management told The Weather Channel the fatality, a 67-year-old
woman whose name hasn't been released, occurred in Fairdale.
"We literally heard that train sound, and I got my
three dogs into my bedroom, closed them in there, and my husband and I ran into
the food pantry underneath the stairwell, and that’s where we sat and watched
and waited," said Pamela Metcalf, Kirkland resident, in a Daily Chronicle
report. "The house shook like Dorothy in 'Wizard of Oz,' and when it got
quiet we peeked out the door and there was nothing there."
Fairdale, an unincorporated town of about 200 residents some
80 miles northwest of Chicago, is comprised of approximately 50 structures, and
Rockford Fire Department division chief Matthew Knott told The Chicago Tribune
that every one of the town's homes was damaged. He also noted that 17
structures were destroyed by the twister that hit the town at about 7:15 p.m.,
and at least seven people were injured.
Bye bye Fairdale.. pic.twitter.com/xzC8xcINjZ
— Michael Cusack (@MCusack_20) April 10, 2015
The State of Illinois Emergency Management Agency state
incident response team was dispatched to areas reporting storm damage, ABC
Chicago said.
"We’ve seen many storms and wind damage and houses
downed before, but nothing like this to my memory," DeKalb County Sheriff
Roger Scott told The Daily Chronicle.
Grubsteakers restaurant in Rochelle, southwest of Kirkland
and Fairdale, sustained heavy damage as the tornado ripped through the area.
The restaurant's owners, employees, patrons and a couple of bystanders were
trapped in the cellar for nearly 90 minutes, the report added.
Raymond Kramer, 81, told local media, "I stood at the
door taking pictures of the tornado coming at me, and finally the owner of the
restaurant said, 'Everybody in the basement right now!'," Kramer said.
"And no sooner did we get down there when it hit the building and laid a
whole metal wall on top of the doors where we went into the storm cellar."
Fire crews rescued 14 people from the collapsed
building, according to the Daily Chronicle, and at least four of them were
transported to a local hospital for treatment.
DeKalb County Fire Chief Eric Hicks told the Daily Chronicle
the county dispatched its mass-casualty incident trailer to Fairdale. Technical
rescue teams and an assistant fire chief were sent to the area by Dekalb and
Sycamore fire departments, as well.
The Rockford Fire Department arrived in Kirkland Thursday
night, and crews worked to aid trapped victims.
Having difficulty getting access due to damage and debris.
pic.twitter.com/amwLnvLOoW
— Rockford Fire (@RockfordFire) April 10, 2015
According to the Illinois Office of Emergency Management, 25
homes were destroyed by the tornado.
Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere sustained
"devastating" damage from a tornado, and two animals passed away,
according to the zoo's Facebook page. All surviving animals, however, were
accounted for.
Tornadoes were also confirmed near Dunlap and Cherry Valley.
Strong winds were also a problem for high-profile vehicles on the state's
freeways. People were reportedly trapped when a semi tipped over on Interstate
35, according to storm reports.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport experienced heavy flight
delays and cancelations Thursday due to thunderstorms, according to flight
tracking software FlightAware. Over 900 flights were canceled, and arrival
delays averaged around 3.5 hours. There were also some delays and
cancelations at Chicago Midway International Airport.
Two power lines were downed on a road,
garage, fence and backyard play fort in a suburb of Chicago after
lightning struck Thursday morning, NBC Chicago reported. There were no
injuries.
Iowa
An accident blocked U.S. Route 61 southbound near DeWitt
early Thursday evening, according to the IowaDOT 511.
The Clinton Police Department reported "lots of
damage, power lines down, and we're being flooded with 911 calls," in
a brief interview with The Weather Channel.
Another view of the storm near Clinton. @kwqcnews @YourFox18
pic.twitter.com/TM91wVeJf3
— Bailey Deitz (@BaileyDeitzNews) April 9, 2015
Tornadoes were spotted near Donahue, DeWitt and Clinton
in eastern Iowa, all of which originated from the same parent thunderstorm
between 5 and 6 p.m. CDT.
A multiple-vortex tornado was spotted near Clinton Municipal
Airport at 5:46 p.m. CDT, according to local storm reports.
Water was pooling on some Cedar Rapids roads early Thursday
evening, KCRG-TV reported.
Strong winds overturned a semi truck on Interstate 80 near
Davenport, storm chaser David Baxter told The Weather Channel.
Tornadoes were reported on the ground near Stockton and
Comanche Thursday evening. An additional tornado was confirmed near Donahue, as
well.
Damage from A Farm in Donahue, Ia pic.twitter.com/SDs7INe6PZ
— Denise Hnytka (@DeniseWQAD) April 9, 2015
Missouri
Local dispatchers told NBC a tree was downed on a trailer in
Centralia, causing minor injuries and structural damage. Additional reports
include downed trees and power lines, power outages and structural damage
throughout the city.
A mobile home was blown over and rolled by strong winds in a
Boone County trailer park, according to the National Weather Service. No
injuries were reported from that incident.
North Carolina
Steven Bryan, 28, was killed after being struck by lightning
in the parking lot of Cary Crossroads Plaza in Cary, North Carolina, Thursday
night, WTVD-TV reported.
Fire crews worked throughout the evening, attending to
numerous house and apartment building fires caused by lightning strikes, WTVD
said.
Ten apartments in Holly Springs, North Carolina, flooded
Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Ohio
The National Weather Service reported a tornado in
Walbridge, Ohio, about 10 miles outside of Toledo. People living in a mobile
home park told ABC 13, "It was huge. It was going like this." No
major damage was reported.
State Routes 285 and 265 were closed due to high water
Thursday night.
Early morning rain flooded the basement of a high school and
middle school in Utica with several feet of water, prompting school officials
to close the facilities, WBNS-TV reported.
Pennsylvania
Nearly 28,000 West Penn Power customers were without power
during the worst of the storm, West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers told the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Alyson Walls, Pittsburgh International spokeswoman, also
told the Gazette airport ramps were closed to ensure the safety of
employees. During this time, aircraft will not be refueled, however, workers
will be able to resume operations after the storm passes.
Flooding and downed trees and power lines were reported by
police dispatchers in Allegheny County, said the Post-Gazette.
Debris was thrown around downtown Pittsburgh by extreme
winds, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
The red line of route of the Pittsburgh Light Rail system
was impacted by severe weather Thursday evening, according to Jon Schmitz of
the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Red Line problems reported by PG's @jsilverpg. Detour via
Blue Line in effect. #Pittsburgh #transit #weather
— Jon Schmitz (@pgtraffic) April 9, 2015
The City of Pittsburgh 311 response center was reporting
several power outages.
#Pittsburgh Several areas are experiencing power outages
Including Traffic Lights/Street Lights due to storms #TakeTurns1and1 #BeSafe
— PGH311 (@Pgh311) April 9, 2015
Texas
Eastern Texas was hit by several strong storms Thursday
night, leaving some damage behind. Severe storms damaged the Eden Select
Speciality Care center's roof, according to the Longview Police Twitter page.
We are currently evacuating the 75 patients of Eden Select
Specialty Care due to the damage to the roof of the facility.
— Longview Police (@LongviewPolice) April 10, 2015
Longview sustained more damage during the severe weather; a
church lost its roof and power lines were downed, a spokeswoman for the
Longview Police Department told The Associated Press. Numerous accidents with
injuries were reported Thursday night during the storms, the department also
said.
Severe weather left over 1,800 Oncor customers without power
Thursday night, according to the utility's website. Over 3,800 Southwestern
Electric Power Company customers were without power, as well.
Wisconsin
The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan's radar
was rendered inoperable after it was struck by lightning Thursday night.
Several animals were killed in Russell when a barn caught
fire after a suspected lightning strike, WISC-TV reported. Authorities say the
building was engulfed in flames before it collapsed.
Heavy rain flooded an interstate just north of Milwaukee
Thursday morning, partially submerging multiple vehicles and closing the
roadway for hours, according to the Associated Press. No injuries were
reported.
Source: weather.com