A series of storms hit the Chicago area late Friday, bringing heavy rain and downing trees across the region. NBC 5’s Vi Nguyen reports.
At least six tornadoes, including one that destroyed an apartment building and caused significant tree and power line damage in Kankakee County, touched down during Friday's outbreak of severe weather, according to the National Weather Service.
In an update Sunday night, forecasters with the NWS said one EF-0 tornado occurred from Newark to Lisbon in Kendall County. A second tornado, also ranked as an EF-0, took place from Midewin Prairie to Wilton Center to northwest of Peotone in Will County.
Earlier on Sunday, the NWS provided information on four separate tornados, including two that were classified as EF-1's. One of those tornadoes touched down in Momence in Kankakee County, with estimated wind speeds of 110 miles per hour, according to officials.
That tornado traveled approximately 3.36 miles and had a maximum width of 90 yards, according to officials, and was on the ground for approximately six minutes.
Numerous corn fields were impacted by the tornado, with clear paths observed via drone footage in the area.
The tornado then struck a row of two-story apartments on Harvard Street, removing a roof and a portion of the upper-level of the structure, according to officials.
A second EF-1 tornado touched down in Minooka in Kendall County and traveled for more than seven miles before lifting off the ground near Joliet in Will County.
Weather
As the tornado crossed across the DuPage River, it intensified and snapped trees and caused structural damage, according to officials. It also crossed Interstate 55 near exit 251 and continued to cause sporadic tree damage as it entered Joliet, impacting the Joliet Junior College campus.
It then moved across a soccer complex before lifting from the ground.
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On the Enhanced Fujita Scale, tornadoes are classified into six categories, ranging from EF-0, which is considered a weak tornado, to EF-5, which is classified as a “violent” tornado with wind speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour.
The Momence tornado was very close to being classified as an EF-2, a “strong” tornado with wind speeds between 111 and 135 miles per hour.
A second tornado also touched down near Minooka during that storm, moving approximately five miles until it approached Channahon. The tornado was an EF-0, with peak winds of 85 miles per hour according to estimates.
The Apostolic Church in Minooka suffered roof damage from the tornado, which then proceeded to the east-northeast, crossing Lake Chaminwood Preserve and Interstate 55.
Another tornado was reported in Kankakee County, including an EF-0 that traveled six miles through the city of Kankakee. That tornado is believed to have touched down in the River Bend neighborhood near Route 113, with multiple trees uprooted or damaged.
