2 killed as at least 4 suspected tornadoes leave trail of damage in Kankakee Illinois, Lake Village Indiana, NWS says

CHICAGO (WLS) — Suspected tornadoes have left extensive damage in Kankakee County in Illinois and into neighboring Indiana Tuesday, where two people were killed.

The storms also produced hail ranging in size from two to four inches, the National Weather Service said. The NWS said the largest hailstone produced was six inches in diameter, which fell in Kankakee. The NWS said the hailstone may be a state record for Illinois.

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The NWS said a supercell that went from Pontiac, Illinois to Pontiac, Indiana spawned at least four tornadoes in Pontiac and south of Kankakee in Illinois and Lake Village an Wheatfield in Indiana.

The NWS is sending survey teams to the area Wednesday to investigate the damage.

In Lake Village, Indiana, Officials said the initial search that started Tuesday night a confirmed two people are dead and several more dealing with serious injuries.

Officials said an elderly couple was killed after a tornado stuck a home in the 8000-blovk of 600 W.

Officials believe the number of seriously hurt is fewer than 10 people.

Officials described some terrifying details of how devastating this tornado was last night. That includes people trapped under the wreckage of their own homes that collapsed livestock on the loose down trees and power lines.

The tornado ravaged through about 3.5 miles of town here and four firefighters had their own homes severely damaged.

Some people self transported to the hospital another person was found walking the street and another stuck in their car under downed branches.

State officials said it’s been all-hands-on-deck.

“In the dark, in the dead of night, with debris everywhere, primary search was done to best of our abilities,” Lori Postma with Lake Township Volunteer Fire Department. “We had probably 250 people here last night doing it. They sectioned it of into different sections like a grid search. They did the absolute best they could do, given weather and darkness. At this time, we have not had anybody reported missing.”

There’s an estimated 70 downed poles across Newton County NIPSCO reporting power issues for than 2,500 customers

People impacted by the storm can go to North Newton High School for support.

In Illinois, Kankakee County officials said nine people were injured by the storms, but no people were killed.

“We did have to excavate a couple people out of homes, but they are safe,” Kankakee Mayor Christopher Curtis said.

The mayor said it will be several days before full power is restored.

The area in Aroma Park along Sandbar Road was one of the places hardest hit.

Dangerous weather ripped through the area leaving a path of destruction.

The powerful storms driving rain and gusting winds downed at least a half dozen power lines that were snapped in half by gusting winds.

One homeowner says the storm blew out windows and leveled a two-story barn.

A concrete silo was also destroyed.

The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at Kankakee Community College for those impacted by the storms.

Governor JB Pritzker posted on X.com, “I’ve been briefed on the storm and tornado damage in the Kankakee area. My administration including IEMA are in contact with local officials to offer our full support. Keeping in our thoughts all Illinoisans impacted by the severe weather – we’ll be here to help them recover.”

People living in Kankakee described the hail as almost as large as their hands, pounding the pavement and causing extensive damage.

“As if I have a bulletproof car and somebody was, like, shooting a machine gun or something like that. That’s how hard it was hitting,” Jon Robicheaux said.

Some car windows were left shattered.

“It just kept tearing into my front windshield,” Robicheaux said. “The back went out first, and it kept hitting the front. And it constantly got damaged.”

He had to pull over to find shelter.

“And I was kind of scared a tornado would’ve came over me while I was parked because I couldn’t see anything,” Robicheaux said.

Some cars in the west suburbs were damaged, as well, after golf ball- to baseball-sized hail fell.

One large chunk of hail came down on Gabrielle Zinkel’s car as she was driving home to Homer Glen from work in Downers Grove, shattering her back windshield.

“It sounded exactly like bullets hitting your car. Like, I was like, did my windshield just get shot through? Like what just happened? Because I did not think. I was like, OK, I’m going to come through this with some dents. But I didn’t think that this thing would hit my windshield and crack it right open,” Zinkel said.

There was also heavy rain and hail in parts of the city.

The hail sent people scrambling around dusk.

ComEd said as of 5 a.m., about 27,000 customers were impacted by the storm, with power restored to all but about 4,000 customers. Those without power were mainly in Kankakee County.

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