Dangerous storms with tornadoes and giant hail left at least two dead after hitting the central region of the USA overnight from Tuesday (10) to Wednesday (11).
The threat of storms is not over. More than 50 million people from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic could face severe storms tonight. And the threat of tornadoes, while less significant than Tuesday, is not over either.
An elderly couple in their 80s died in Lake Village, Indiana, after a tornado struck the rural community about an hour south of Chicago, the Newton County, Indiana, coroner said.
Several other people were hospitalized. Rescuers said there was “complete devastation” in the small community.
More than a dozen tornadoes have been reported so far from Tuesday’s storms in three states: Texas, Illinois and Indiana. A long-running supercell spawned several tornadoes as it moved through Illinois and Indiana, including one that devastated Kankakee and Aroma Park, Illinois, causing damage to several homes and buildings.
This tornado was preliminarily classified as an F3 by the National Weather Service in central Illinois. Several people were injured, but no one died, Kankakee’s mayor said.
A new wave of power Wednesday afternoon intensified the threat of severe storms from the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic to the Gulf Coast.
Multiple tornado warnings were issued mid-afternoon, covering nearly 19 million people across nine states. New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, remain at risk tonight.
The storms also produced hail that destroyed cars and caused damage in Illinois. One hailstone measured six inches in diameter, and may have set a new state record.
“Total devastation” in Indiana
Lake Village in northwestern Indiana, where the two deaths were reported, was one of the small towns in the state and neighboring Illinois at the epicenter of tornado damage.
“Just before 7 p.m. (Tuesday), a large tornado touched down in our community and hit us hard,” said Lori Postma, spokeswoman for the Lake Township Volunteer Fire Department.
When emergency responders made an initial assessment overnight, they found “utter devastation,” said Fire Chief Rob Churchill.
“There were houses that collapsed. There were people trapped in houses. There are animals loose,” he said.
“[Há] lots of damage. Please don’t come here. Don’t try to help,” Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran said in a video post from Lake Village on Tuesday night, where the tornado appeared to have reduced at least one home to rubble behind it.
Fire crews searched hundreds of homes in darkness and dangerous conditions for survivors after the tornado struck, said Sergeant Glen Fifield of the Indiana State Police.
At least 100 structures had been damaged as of Wednesday’s count, including 32 destroyed, Fifield said. These numbers are expected to increase as many more homes have been damaged, he added.
Injuries and widespread damage were reported elsewhere in Indiana and Illinois, according to authorities.
Several homes and other structures were also damaged after a tornado touched down in Starke County, Indiana, but there were no injuries or deaths, according to Starke County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Wayne James.
The county includes the city of Knox, where the National Weather Service has issued a tornado emergency warning, the most urgent type of warning.
Emergency responders, state and local officials and the American Red Cross were providing immediate support to communities, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said in a post Wednesday morning.
“Maureen and I are praying for the families who lost loved ones and for all Indiana residents affected by the devastating tornadoes,” Braun said.
Drone footage from Kankakee County, Illinois, showed destroyed buildings and debris scattered across neighborhoods after the tornado struck. Emergency crews searched the wreckage at night with flashlights, dodging pieces of wood and fallen trees as they searched for damaged homes.
Nine people suffered minor injuries, but there were no deaths or people missing in the county, according to Kankakee County Chairman Matthew Alexander-Hildebrand.
“While homes, buildings and infrastructure can be rebuilt, lives cannot be replaced,” he said.
Jim Horchem saw the tornado approaching his neighborhood in Kankakee County. “I thought, wow, it’s a tornado. It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming. And… everything seems to happen in slow motion,” Horchem told CorClips journalist Jonathan Petramala.
Horchem and his family hid from the tornado in a bathtub. As he watched the water seep under the bathroom door, Horchem thought his house was already destroyed.
“I really thought, ‘That’s it, we’re going to die,'” he said.
Brandy Peppin said she only had a few minutes of warning before the storm hit her home. His brother called saying he could see the tornado heading straight for his home.
“Thank God,” Peppin told CNN.
“I ran, grabbed my dog, who was already in the closet where we access the basement, and literally pulled the door. He fell into the basement, and I went down and we were inside, facing the tornado. It was deafening,” he added.
“There were little bang bangs and then bigger bangs,” she said.
“You could tell there was debris hitting the house and you could hear the noise of things hitting the house — it was really loud,” Peppin said.
The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office has activated its Emergency Operations Center and issued an emergency declaration to the state of Illinois.
“I want to remind area residents to check on their neighbors and loved ones but to avoid unnecessary travel if possible,” said Sheriff Mike Downey.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said he was informed of the damage caused by the storm and was monitoring the situation.
“Our thoughts are with all Illinoisans affected by the severe weather – we will be here to help them recover,” he said.
Forecast for Wednesday
The storms are moving east after intensifying Wednesday afternoon from Texas to the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic.
The potential for severe storms Wednesday night is lower than Tuesday’s, but could still be dangerous.
More than 18 million people from the Gulf Coast to the Mid-Atlantic are under threat from Level 2 of 5 severe storms. More than 32 million other people are under threat from Level 1 of 5 severe storms.
Storms could hit Baltimore, Washington, New Orleans, Birmingham, Atlanta and other cities along the Gulf Coast.
High winds are the main concern, but a few tornadoes are possible. Some storms could also bring large hail, but not the extreme size that hit parts of the Plains and Midwest on Tuesday.
The potential for severe storms will decrease on Thursday (12) as a change in the weather pattern begins to engulf the US. This break will continue throughout the week.
(With information from Briana Waxman, Mary Gilbert and Diego Mendoza, meteorologists at CNN)
