2 dead after 4 suspected tornadoes in Kankakee, Illinois and Northwest Indiana overnight

Two people died after four suspected tornadoes touched down across Illinois and Northwest Indiana during severe storms on Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service.

The suspected tornadoes stemmed from the same supercell, the NWS said, which tracked from Pontiac, Illinois, to Wheatfield, Indiana, and continued toward Knox, Indiana. The touchdowns were reported in Pontiac, Illinois; Lake Village, Indiana; and Wheatfield, Indiana. 

Officials also said the supercell from the tornadoes produced hail ranging in size from 2 to 4 inches in diameter from Pontiac to the Illinois/Indiana state line. A 6-inch diameter hailstone that fell in Kankakee may have set a new Illinois record.

A separate supercell produced giant hail from Bolingbrook to Darien, Illinois, with hailstones measuring 3 to 4 inches in diameter, according to the NWS. The largest hailstone from this supercell was 4.8 inches in Darien.

The NWS is deploying survey crews in Kankakee County in Illinois and Newton and Jasper counties in Indiana.  

2 killed by suspected tornadoes in Northwest Indiana 

Indiana officials confirmed two fatalities and multiple people injured in Lake Village, Indiana, after storms hit the area. Officials said Lake Village was "decimated" by the tornado, which carved a path of destruction 45 to 50 miles long.

Newton County, Indiana, Sheriff Shannon Cothran said the people who died were an elderly man and woman from the same family. He said their names could not yet be released as of Wednesday morning.

The Newton County Coroner's office was to issue a news release on the deaths later Wednesday.

Officials said the homes of four local firefighters in Lake Village were among the damaged properties. 

Extensive damage was also caused to the electrical system, impacting 2,500 customers in Lake Village and the surrounding areas. The storm downed 70 electrical poles, making it dangerous to travel around the area.  

Fire departments in Newton County started their second search and rescue on Wednesday morning.

North Newton High School in Lake Village, Indiana, is serving as an emergency shelter for anyone displaced by the storm. Officials said the Red Cross will be assisting at the site. 

The Lake Village Fire Department is also serving as a rallying point. 

Indiana State Police will be deployed in the area to assess damage and offer assistance.   

Residents of the Lake Village area were advised to stay home if possible on Wednesday.

"We understand the human curiosity, but we ask that they also understand that their presence going out to be curious also hinders the response and mobility of the responders," Cothran said.

Kankakee County issues state of emergency 

Back in Illinois, Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said the county declared a state of emergency due to the severity of the damage from the storm. 

The sheriff confirmed at least seven people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and no one died or was seriously hurt in the storms there.

Downey said shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, rotation was observed just northwest of Shebance, Illinois, and a tornado went on to touch down around the Kankakee County Fairgrounds.

The tornado traveled toward the Kankakee Public Safety Center and the Jerome Combs Detention Center. Downey said both were damaged, "although minimally, all things considered." 

Aroma Park residents in Kankakee County woke up to the most severe damage in the area. 

Kankakee County officials said the area around the South Kankakee exit suffered the most severe damage. Officials said the tornado continued toward Kankakee Community College, where it crossed the river and into Aroma Park. 

An Aroma Park resident said the suspect tornado demolished her barn. 

"We had a big barn. We also got a solar farm out here in the field, and it's just demolished," She said. 

Another Aroma Park resident said he got inside and took shelter with his family when the hail started. 

"The force of the wind was just absolutely unbelievable, and that hail hit our roof, and it sounded like we were getting it with bombs." 

Kankakee School District 111 announced that all schools will be closed on Wednesday. The district posted on social media that the closures were due to "widespread storm impacts, including power outages and damage."

In addition to District 111, Kankakee Community College posted on social media that its Riverfront campus and manufacturing and industrial technology center, along with its north and south extension centers, will also be closed.