Chicago

At Least 3 Dead After Tornadoes Sweep Across Midwest

At least three people were killed, including two from Illinois, after tornadoes swept across the Midwest Tuesday night.

One man was killed in Ottawa, about an hour and a half south of Chicago, when an uprooted tree came crashing down on workers on the south side of the city, police said.

Aerial footage shows the destruction left in Perryville, Missouri, after Tuesday night's deadly tornadoes swept across Illinois and several areas in the upper Midwest. One person was killed during the severe weather in Missouri, with an additional two confirmed dead in Illinois.

“There were two men together,” Ottawa Police Department Capt. Dave Gualandri said. “They happened to be outside performing some work task when the storm hit and they apparently weren’t able to seek shelter in a timely fashion.”

Ottawa was one of the cities hit the hardest. Gov. Bruce Rauner plans to visit the city Wednesday as the town begins to rebuild from the devastation and destruction left from the rash of severe storms.

Another man was found dead in Crossville, Illinois, more than four and a half hours south of Ottawa.

A third person died in Perryville, Missouri, officials said.

Video shows a tornado forming in Washburn, Illinois, southwest of Chicago and near Peoria. (Courtesy: Sunna Brown)

By Wednesday morning, there were reports of at least six tornado touchdowns in six different Illinois communities. Besides Ottawa, touchdowns were reported in Washburn, Rutland, Naplate, Marseilles and Morris.

Tornado Map

The National Weather Service says survey teams will be moving across Illinois Wednesday to catalog damage and determine the exact number of tornadoes that hit the ground. Teams will also look to determine how long tornadoes were on the ground.

Phil Rogers gives a unique look into the radio calls made by first responders as tornadoes reportedly touched down and wreaked havoc in LaSalle County Tuesday evening.
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