A confirmed tornado struck near Streator Thursday evening, as a powerful line of severe storms swept across Illinois, triggering tornado warnings, damaging wind threats and widespread disruption across the region.
The National Weather Service confirmed tornado activity in the Streator and Odell areas southwest of Chicago as part of a broader severe weather outbreak impacting multiple states, according to the Associated Press. Preliminary reports indicate structural damage in Streator, along with downed trees and utility lines as storms moved through the region.
The Streator-area tornado was reported on the ground as of 5:52 p.m., and another tornado was reported on the ground near Dwight at about 6:15 p.m., according to NBC 5 Chicago.
The National Weather Service will conduct storm surveys in the coming days to determine tornado strength and the EF rating, path length and width, duration on the ground and full scope of damage.
The Livingston County Sheriff is urging the public to avoid the South Streator area—especially Twelfth Street to East-West Road and the Carriage Lane Trailer Park—due to confirmed storm damage, with fire and EMS crews actively assessing conditions as of 7:15 p.m. Thursday.
Officials are also reporting damage in the Emington-Campus area and asking residents to stay clear while VCOM dispatch handles a high volume of emergency calls, with updates to follow, according to a post on the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
The tornadoes are part of a larger outbreak of severe weather across Illinois and the Midwest that is ongoing at of 7 p.m.
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