After conducting a damage assessment, the National Weather Service’s Chicago branch says that they have preliminarily confirmed three tornado touchdowns during Monday’s severe weather outbreak, with two of those impacting areas near Joliet and Naperville.
A third tornado was also reported in Ford County, receiving an EF-U rating, as officials have not yet determined how strong winds were due to a lack of damage.
According to officials, both the Joliet and Naperville tornadoes were classified as EF-1 twisters, with peak wind speeds of 80-to-85 miles per hour.
The tornado that touched down just to the west of Joliet traveled for just under one mile, traveling from Kendall County and into Will County. The twister’s maximum width was approximately 85 yards, and it was on the ground for approximately one minute, lifting back into the clouds at 9:43 a.m.
Traci Dupuis, who took shelter in her basement, said the rain initially lasted just a few minutes - then stopped instantly.
"...And then this big gust of wind. Sounded like a freight train," she recounted.
A relative of Traci's Brian Dupius, said they suddenly felt the house shake.
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"I thought this is not good," he said. "By the time I came downstairs it was over. That’s how fast it was."
The storm did toss furniture into the air and tear off a flag, but didn't cause any serious injuries.
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The tornado that touched down just north of Naperville was one the ground for a longer period of time, traveling 1.4 miles in a northerly direction away from the city. The tornado was on the ground for approximately two minutes, and had a maximum width of 30 yards, according to damage estimates.
Officials say no one was injured by either tornado, with both twisters damaging trees, fences and causing minor roof damage in some residences.
A third tornado touched down just south of Ford County’s border with Iroquois County, according to officials. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 1.5 miles, but no further information was immediately available.
No damage was reported.
According to the National Weather Service, Monday’s tornadoes were an exceedingly-rare occurrence in the Chicago area, with just one other recorded instance of confirmed touchdowns since 1950.
That occurred in Feb. 2017, when five tornadoes impacted LaSalle County, killing two people.
