WOODRIDGE, Ill. — A confirmed tornado touched down in Woodridge late Sunday night as severe storms left significant damage and power outages in its path across the southwest suburbs.
At least five people, including a woman who was listed in critical condition, were hospitalized in Naperville, where 16 homes were left “uninhabitable” and dozens of other homes were damaged when a reported tornado touched down after 11 p.m. Sunday, said city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche.
The National Weather Service confirms “damage consistent with an EF-3 rating.”
Video showed several large trees downed and damage to homes and vehicles in the path of the storm. Some gas leaks were reported in Naperville, and crews went door to door shutting off lines, she said.
A tornado touched down east of Route 53 between 83rd Street and 75th Street at approximately 11:30 p.m. Sunday night in Woodridge.
Officials in the nearby village of Woodridge said a tornado touched down late Sunday and a damage assessment was underway. There were no reports of significant injuries in the community, but people were urged to avoid the area due to downed power lines and trees.
Governor JB Pritzker released a statement Monday morning, saying, “Last night’s tornadoes in the suburbs near Chicago were a reminder to prepare ahead of time for severe weather. I’ve reached out to local officials in the tornado’s path to offer all available state resources to assist residents and help overcome damage. State emergency officials are on the ground coordinating with local first responders. My prayers are with those who were injured or lost property.”
Village officials said the tornado traveled east to the Lemont Road area of Woodridge before dissipating. There are currently no reports of significant injuries from the Woodridge storm.
The area contains several downed power lines and fallen trees as village officials warn residents to avoid the area.
Extensive damage was witnessed in Naperville from a rotating storm with winds that reached speeds of 104 miles per hour.
Near the confirmed tornado, severe storms left significant property damage to Naperville, Burr Ridge and Darien.
The National Weather Service of Chicago said there was at least one confirmed tornado Sunday night, with several other locations of a rotating storm.
The agency will survey the damage later, with the confirmed tornado potentially being the region’s most damaging in six years.
The threat of wind damage remained for a few hours as the line of storms moved over northern Illinois and into northwestern Indiana, forecasters said. The severe threat was declared over at 2 a.m. local time.
The severe weather has caused power outages across the area. ComEd reports 61,000 customers, mostly in DuPage County, were without power — that number is now down to 14,000.
