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5 injured after tornado touches down, destroys 16 houses

One person is in critical condition and four others are injured after a tornado swept through a Naperville, Illinois, neighborhood

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After moving through Naperville, the tornado touched down east of Route 53 between 83rd Street and 75th Street in Woodridge, causing a tornadic debris signature so significant it could be seen on radar screens at the National Weather Service office in Romeoville.

Rich Hein/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

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5 injured after tornado touches down, destroys 16 houses

One person in critical condition, four others injured in Naperville tornado that severely damaged 16 houses

Naperville Sun, Ill.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. — One person is in critical condition and four others injured following a tornado touchdown in Naperville near 75th Street and Ranchview Drive Sunday night, a city report said.

Sixteen houses have been deemed uninhabitable and trees and power lines were downed in the violent storm that came through the area about 11:10 p.m.

As of 5 a.m., the city had received 125 reports of property damage within the tornado area. Ten people from three homes were taken to a relocation area, and the Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting the families that have been displaced, the report said.

Nicor had all gas shut off to homes where lines were broken by 2 a.m., and there were no active gas leaks.

With multiple utility poles down on Bailey Road, about 450 customers are without power 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 city report said.

Power may not be restored to the area until about midnight because poles and lines need to be replaced.

Bailey Road is currently closed between Washington Street and Naper Boulevard as is 77th Street is closed at Muirhead and Wehrli. City works crews are removing trees from roadways and estimates more than 100 parkway trees were damaged, the report said.

After moving through Naperville, the tornado touched down east of Route 53 between 83rd Street and 75th Street in Woodridge, causing a tornadic debris signature so significant it could be seen on radar screens at the National Weather Service office in Romeoville.

There was virtually no mistaking the event, NWS meteorologist Matt Friedlein said.

“Small pieces of debris, that could be tree limbs or paper, lofted above 10,000 feet and that’s a sign that the tornado is a pretty decent tornado, or, I should say, a stronger tornado,” Friedlein said early Monday, noting how infrequently debris would be launched so high into the atmosphere. “The radar can sample that and tell it’s not raindrops or hail storms. That is unusual. It’s more rare that that happens.”

Although it was too early to say for certain, Friedlein estimated the tornado may have been an EF-2, a ranking on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which goes from zero to five. An EF-2, should it be confirmed later Monday, would mean the tornado had wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph.

Authorities in Woodridge said no significant injuries had been reported there. Officials asked people to stay out of the area because of the danger posed by downed power lines and debris.

“The tornado traveled east to the Lemont Road area of Woodridge. The village of Woodridge is assisting those affected by the tornado and assessing the damage,” Woodridge police spokesman Jim Hoff wrote in an emailed statement.

Residents near Darien and Burr Ridge, about 20 miles southwest of Chicago, had been urged to take cover around 11:15 p.m., the National Weather Service in Chicago said on Twitter.

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“This is a dangerous situation!” the agency tweeted. Live newscast video showed several large trees downed and damage to homes and vehicles in the path of the storm.

This report will be updated.

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(c)2021 the Naperville Sun (Naperville, Ill.)

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