Idiot in Ottawa IL
UPDATED 8:40 a.m. March 1: OTTAWA, IL Storms that swept across Illinois overnight, killing two people and injuring numerous others, have passed, and now the small communities affected by the devastation will work to clean up.
A tornado that touched down in Ottawa killed Wayne Tuntland, 76, who was struck by a falling tree, CBS Chicago reports, and a second person was seriously injured when a section of the tree also fell on him. Saint Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa reported at least 14 people injured by the storm many suffering from injuries to their knees, arms and heads after being struck by falling tree limbs and were hurt as they tried to get home, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Another man was found dead in Crossville, a small town in Southeastern Illinois, NBC Chicago reported. That man has been identified as Thomas McCord, 71, and was in front of his home when the tornado hit, according to ABC 7. In Perryville, Missouri, a tornado ripped across I-55, overturning cars and killing a third person, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
As many as seven tornadoes touched down in Illinois during Tuesday"s storm, ABC 7 Chicago reports. The storms also brought large hail, heavy downpours and high winds and wind damage to towns throughout the Chicago suburbs.
The southern suburbs were hit especially hard by hail and heavy rain. In Joliet, over three inches of rain fell during the storm.
National Weather Service crews were visiting tornado sites on Wednesday to determine the severity of the storms. A tornado that touched down in Oregon in Ogle County has been classified as an EF-1 with wind speeds between 90 to 95 mph and the Naplate tornado has been classified as an EF-3 with wind speeds peaking at 155 mph, according to preliminary storm damage results.
The storm had officially passed as of early Wednesday morning as damage reports started to pour in from across the state. The LaSalle County Nursing Home in Ottawa was heavily damaged, but a woman answering the phone at the LaSalle County Nursing Home Tuesday evening told Fox 6 no one was seriously injured. Several residents were reporting bumps and bruises.
On Wednesday, clean up began in the towns affected by tornadoes. In Ottawa, city officials were urging volunteers to stay away for the time-being, according to CBS Chicago.
The streets are not safe yet. We just came from our briefing. The city and the village are not ready yet, and so at this point, they have the perimeters locked down, LaSalle County Emergency Management Agency director Connie Brooks told the Chicago TV station.
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On Tuesday night, significant tornado damage was reported in Washburn and Naplate, where there were unconfirmed reports of people trapped, as well as gas leaks. Just after 10 p.m., a "large and extremely dangerous" tornado was spotted near Crossville in White County with reported damage, according to the NWS.
A shelter for displaced LaSalle County residents was set up at Ottawa High School at 211 E Main St., and a reception center was opened at Waltham School at 248 W. Canal St. in North Utica, according to the Red Cross. Emergency operations were also set up in Springfield, according to Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Tornadoes in February are rare but not unheard of in Illinois, the National Weather service in romeoville told mywebtimes. "history is showing weve had them every month of the year in the area," with less than five February tornadoes between 1950 and 2015, meteorologist Kevin Donofrio said. Tornado season typically peaks in April through June.
The storms began to build in intensity late Tuesday afternoon when a confirmed tornado was located near Utica and east of Oglesby in LaSalle County, moving east at 40 mph, according to an update at 4:40 p.m. by the National Weather Service. Just before 5 p.m., the National Weather Service reported a tornado was spotted near Ottawa and urged residents to take cover.
WATCH STREAMING VIDEO OF THE SEVERE STORMS:
Original story posted at 10 a.m. on Feb. 28: The Chicago area could get hit with severe thunderstorms and possibly even tornadoes later today.
Scattered thunderstorms will enter the area during the early- to mid-afternoon hours and could increase in coverage and intensity later Tuesday afternoon and into tonight, according to the National Weather Service. Some severe storms are likely.
Those storms are expected to move east across the area, with some locations expected to see multiple rounds of storms.
The storms could bring large hail, and there is also a threat for damaging winds and tornadoes primarily south of Interstate 88 tonight. Weather officials are unsure as of Tuesday morning how far north the damaging winds and tornadoes could extend.
The bottom line is to pay close attention to the weather forecasts today into tonight, and dont be caught off guard that it is February and that potent storms can and are likely to happen after dark tonight, according to a Tuesday morning post on the National Weather Service Facebook page.
More via the National Weather Service
Photo via Patch file
Shannon Antinori (Patch staff) contributed to this article
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Source: http://patch.com/illinois/chicago/hazardous-weather-outlook-thunderstorms-tornadoes-large-hail-possible
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