Tornado Rips Through Kankakee County, Illinois, Destroying Homes and Downing Power Lines

A powerful spring storm system produced a long-lived supercell that spawned multiple tornadoes across northeastern Illinois and northwest Indiana on Tuesday night, including a twister that touched down south of Kankakee and tracked into Aroma Park and into northwest Indiana.

“The hail sent people scrambling around dusk”

ABC

National forecasters and local officials described multiple tornado reports across the region and a single supercell that tracked from Pontiac, Illinois into Indiana, producing several touchdowns and widespread damage along its path.

ABC

Initial casualty and injury reports were mixed by locality: Kankakee County officials said their area had no reported fatalities as of Wednesday morning and only several minor injuries,

while Newton County, Indiana (Lake Village) reported at least two deaths after a tornado struck a home and several people were hurt.

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Local and state officials described rescue operations for people trapped in damaged houses.

The storms inflicted heavy damage to homes, businesses, schools and the power grid: utility companies and officials reported thousands of customers without electricity, dozens of downed poles and snapped lines, and emergency dispatch centers overwhelmed by calls.

“According to Postma, fewer than 10 people were injured in Tuesday's storms, which also knocked down trees and power lines”

América TeVé

Local leaders warned residents to avoid roads because of debris and downed power lines as crews began clearing routes and restoring service.

The same supercell produced extraordinarily large hail across parts of the corridor: reports described hail from roughly 2–5 inches in diameter along multiple paths,

trained spotters measured a 6-inch hailstone in Kankakee that meteorologists said could set a new Illinois record if verified,

Associated Press News

Forecasters said survey crews will investigate hail and tornado damage to confirm sizes and number of touchdowns.

Local, county and state agencies activated emergency operations, opened shelters, and announced school and campus closures while search-and-rescue and damage-assessment teams mobilized;

“The Newton County Coroner's office was to issue a news release on the deaths later Wednesday”

CBS News

the National Weather Service and storm survey crews were dispatched to determine the number and strength of tornadoes.

CBS News

Officials urged residents to stay away from hard-hit areas while recovery and restoration work continued.