Tornado rips through Illinois

Supercell thunderstorms produced a large tornado that touched down Thursday night in northern Illinois, killing one person and injuring eight others in one tiny community as severe weather pummeled the Midwest.

One person was killed in the tiny community of Fairdale, James Joseph with the Illinois Department of Emergency Management said.

Eight others were taken to area hospitals for injuries, DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said in a statement. Authorities were still working near midnight to account for every resident, he said.

Out of the approximately 75 homes in the village of about 150 residents, 15-20 were destroyed, Scott said.

Rockford Fire Department division chief Matthew Knott told WLS-TV earlier Thursday that "every single" structure in the town was damaged.

The National Weather Service tweeted around 7 p.m. that a tornado was on the ground in nearby Rochelle and urged residents to seek shelter immediately. (AP)


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