Naperville

Naperville Tornado: 6 Injured, 16 Homes Uninhabitable in Widespread Damage After Major Storms

Note: Naperville officials are scheduled to deliver an update on tornado damage and clean-up beginning at around 1 p.m. The event can be watched live in the video player above.

Naperville officials say six people were hospitalized and 16 houses were deemed uninhabitable, with at least 125 more reports of property damage in the area after a tornado tore through the Chicago suburb Sunday.

Naperville officials said Monday morning that tornado sirens were activated at 11:07 p.m. Sunday night and the tornado was reported to have touched down at around 11:10 p.m. in the area just south of 75th Street and Ranchview Drive.

Fire and police personnel were dispatched to that area at 11:28 p.m., according to the city, and five people were taken to Edward Hospital: one in critical condition, while the other four sustained what were believe to be non-life-threatening injuries.

The city deemed 16 houses uninhabitable as of 6 a.m., with inspectors continuing to survey property damage Monday morning, noting widespread damage to homes, downed power lines and fallen trees across the area.

The city has received at least 125 reports of property damage with the area where the tornado touched down, with 10 people from three homes taken to a relocation point where the Red Cross and Salvation Army were assisting those displaced.

One Woodridge resident told NBC 5 she managed to safely gather her family together just prior to a tornado hitting the community Sunday.

Nicor shut off gas to the impacted homes, with no active gas leaks reported overnight, Naperville officials said.

Multiple utility poles on Bailey Road were downed during the storm, officials said, with about 300 people without power as of 10 a.m. in the area of Bailey Road to the north, Washington to the west, Naper Boulevard to the east and Bourbon Lane to the south.

The poles and lines will need to be replaced before power can be restored to that area, according to city officials, who estimated that power restoration may occur by midnight.

Bailey Road remains closed between Washington and Naper Boulevard, while 77th Street was closed at Muirhead and Wehrli. Naperville officials urged residents to avoid that area as crews continue to work to clear trees from roadways.

Residents should use the Parkway Tree Service Request Form here to report damage to parkway trees, Naperville said, while tree limbs and debris from trees on residential property should be placed at the curb.

Anyone looking to volunteer or assist should avoid the storm-damaged area at this time, the city said, asking anyone who would like to help in future efforts should call (630) 305-5340 to leave their contact information with city staff.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center has opened in the event that local departments need additional resources in responding to the storms.

Sunday’s storms spawned a series of watches and warnings, with a tornado warning moving across three different counties during the severe outbreak. Other communities, including Woodridge and Darien, also experienced major damage from the storms.

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