Two Illinois tornadoes hit at least six counties on April 9th, killing a 67-year old woman in Fairdale and injuring at least seven people, as the tornadoes tore through homes and businesses along their travel route; livestock in the area were also killed or injured, according to reports.
Two Illinois Tornadoes Reported by National Weather Service.
Fairdale is located about 80 miles from Chicago and has around 200 residents. The National Weather Service reported two tornadoes, and also stated there may have been others that hit during the series of storms Thursday night in the Illinois area. One of the Illinois tornadoes traveled through parts of Winnebago County and Boone counties, while the another, more deadly tornado hit Fairdale, Illinois and went through Lee, DeKalb, Boone, McHenry, and Winnebago counties.
Assistance from fellow Illinois residents and elsewhere swiftly arrived to offer aid to the areas hit by the tornadoes. Many brought food, water, blankets and other help, and Red Cross and Salvation Army volunteers set up temporary shelters at places like the Kirkland Fire Station and at a local high school in Fairdale.
Many Structures and Homes Damaged by Illinois Tornadoes
The storm system that contained the Illinois tornadoes traveled over several other states, bringing hard rain and winds to places as far away as Texas, where a church roof was torn off and a nursing home was damaged. In the small Illinois town of Fairdale, at least 17 buildings are reported destroyed and all others had some form of damage, according to the Rockford Fire Department chief, Matthew Knott. Damage and destruction are estimated to cost millions of dollars.
Ogle County officials reported that at least 20 homes were damaged in their area, but there were no deaths and no major injuries there. Twelve people were trapped in a basement in Rochelle, but were freed by local emergency teams and were unharmed. In addition, a Belvidere, Illinois zoo was hit by the Illinois tornadoes and two of the zoo’s animals were killed.
Both rescue crews and local residents have already started to clear away the storm debris after all of the homes in the areas were checked at least twice to see if the Illinois tornadoes had claimed any more victims. Authorities reported that they would not stop until every resident in the area had been accounted for, as some people evacuated prior to the storm hitting town.
The Illinois tornadoes and other severe weather caused a halt to travel at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport and the Midway International Airport, with more than 850 flights cancelled.
