A severe tornado storm left one killed and eight injured in Fairdale on Thursday, and multiple homes destroyed across Illinois.

Tornado Hits Fairdale, Illinois

The tornado hit Fairdale Thursday night, destroying an estimated 15-20 homes as of Friday morning. Tornadoes also hit in other Illinois towns and parts of Iowa and Ohio on Thursday, in what the National Weather Service called a “particularly dangerous situation.”

So far, the tornadoes have resulted in one confirmed death. A 67-year-old woman was reportedly found dead in her Fairdale home, but other information about her is being kept private. Eight other Fairdale residents were reportedly taken to hospitals with tornado-related injuries. On Friday, all 150 residents of Fairdale lost power and most were evacuated, with the Red Cross and Salvation Army arriving to help set up shelter at a local high school. Search and rescue teams are still combing the area to help any residents still remaining in the town.

Homes Destroyed In Rochelle, Illinois

Meanwhile, 12 people were trapped in the basement of a restaurant in Rochelle, Illinois, a town a few counties away, by the tornado storm. First responders were able to rescue the group after about 90 minutes, and luckily none of them were injured.

“No sooner did we get down there, when it hit the building and laid a whole metal wall on top of the doors where we went into the storm cellar… When the tornado hit, we all got a dust bath. Everyone in there got shattered with dust and debris falling out of the rafters,” said Raymond Kramer, 81, who was among those rescued from the basement.

The extent of the damage in Rochelle is unclear, but storm chaser Dan Gottschalk told CNN that the town had suffered “massive damage” and he claimed to have seen many homes completely obliterated.

More storms are expected to hit the Midwest in the near future.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.