Residents Return To Fairdale Two Days After Tornado Ripped Through Town
Residents of the town of Fairdale were escorted back to their homes Saturday, two days after an EF-4 tornado ripped through the town, killing two people.
Watch CBS News
Residents of the town of Fairdale were escorted back to their homes Saturday, two days after an EF-4 tornado ripped through the town, killing two people.
After touring the damage left by powerful tornadoes that killed two people and injured nearly two dozen others, Gov. Bruce Rauner declared two counties disaster areas.
A zoo in Belvidere, Illinois, took a direct hit from one of the two tornadoes that touched down in north central Illinois on Thursday.
The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross have set up shelters for victims, served hot meals to first responders, and provided other relief supplies as residents dig out, and begin the slow recovery process.
At least one person was killed in Fairdale, Illinois, on Thursday, when a massive "wedge" tornado ripped through the tiny hamlet of 200 people. A second tornado also hit nearby Rochelle. No fatalities were reported there, but at 12 people were trapped in the basement of a restaurant when it was leveled.
Gov. Bruce Rauner confirmed two people have died in the tiny hamlet of Fairdale, Illinois, after a massive "wedge" tornado virtually destroyed the town.
Severe storms moving through the Midwest were expected to bring heavy rain, large hail, damaging winds, and possibly some tornadoes to the Chicago area on Thursday, with the heaviest storm activity hitting Thursday afternoon.
Severe storms are in the forecast in the next 24 hours, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District is asking people to prepare by using less.
The NWS confirms two brief EF-1 tornadoes occurred Monday evening, with one near the town of Earlville and the second in Plainfield.
The I-190 entrance to O'Hare International Airport reopened Tuesday morning, after it was shut down for several hours at Mannheim Road when the viaduct flooded due to Monday night's storms.
Road crews will be out on the Eisenhower Expressway on Wednesday to investigate what caused the roadway to flood so badly in west suburban Broadview, forcing authorities to close part of the interstate for more than seven hours.
Thunderstorms began moving through north and northwest suburbs late Wednesday morning, bringing wind gusts of up to 45 mph, frequent lightning strikes, and occasional heavy downpours.
CBS 2 Meteorologist Ed Curran reports a tornado watch had been issued for several counties in northern Illinois early Tuesday, but it was later cancelled several hours earlier than scheduled as the system fell apart in Illinois, and the heaviest storms moved into Wisconsin.
Though some rain began moving through the Chicago area Wednesday morning, the worst of a damaging storm system headed east from Iowa and Missouri was passing well south of the city and suburbs.
Officials at DuSable Harbor were trying to figure out how to get two docks of boats back where they should be after high winds from a brief storm on Monday knocked two docks out of position.
Quarter-sized hail and wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible from a line of thunderstorms expected to move across northern Illinois Tuesday evening.
Video images of powerful tornadoes ripping across the plains are stunning and frightening.
After the storms swept through the area, nearly 9,000 ComEd customers in the west, southwest and south suburbs were left without power, according to ComEd. The majority of outages were reported near Harvey in Blue Island, where more than 6,300 customers were without power Sunday night.
The warm weather could be met with severe thunderstorms in the northern suburbs Saturday.
After hearing numerous complaints about its new emergency warning system during and after Sunday's storms, the village of Oak Lawn is going back to its old siren sound.
New damage assessments from the National Weather Service show that at least 15 tornadoes hit Illinois during Sunday's storms.
Officials continued to assess the damage across the state after a 300-mile long swath of violent storms exploded across Illinois on Sunday, leveling scores of neighborhoods, killing at least six people and injuring many others.
Soldier Field is getting ready for noon kickoff - and a storm that's coming through.
Two people have been killed and several others were injured as severe weather swept through Northwest Indiana on Thursday
Severe thunderstorms moved through the Chicago area Thursday afternoon, bringing heavy rains and high winds.
With Christmas around the corner, some families have their trees up and decorated — and the Chicago Fire Department wants to ensure that those families have fire safety in mind.
Blase Cardinal Cupich visited the Cook County Jail on Sunday to observe the Jubilee of Prisoners.
A Milwaukee man was killed in a snowmobile crash in Morris, Illinois this weekend.
At least one person was killed, and nine others were hurt, in shootings across Chicago this weekend. The ages of the victims range from 18 to 45, according to Chicago police.
A ticket from Michael Jordan's first home game with the Chicago Bulls 41 years ago sold for more than $7,600 at auction.
Two people who survived an early September U.S. attack on an alleged drug boat were waving overhead before they were killed in a now-controversial second strike, according to two sources.
The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide the legality of President Trump's executive order that seeks to end birthright citizenship.
President Trump has led the charge to create more GOP-friendly congressional districts in the 2026 midterm elections.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin is set to retire in 2026, but before he leaves Congress he is making one last attempt to pass the DREAM Act.
Former Chicago Tribune publisher and editor-in-chief R. Bruce Dold passed away this week.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
The Food and Drug Administration is warning about additional cookware brands that could be leaching lead into your food.
Walgreens said it will close its office space in Chicago's Old Post Office building.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
Two pregnant Black women recently faced alarming neglect at hospitals in Indiana and Texas, highlighting racial disparities in maternal care.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed a bill aimed at protecting vaccine access in Illinois.
Roseland Community Hospital on Monday celebrated the opening of a new sickle cell treatment clinic.
Consumers with the imported pans should throw them away due to the severe health risks posed by lead, the agency warns.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
Small Business Saturday was disrupted by the winter storm for many business owners in Chicago, but in the Rogers Park neighborhood, a group of business owners came together to draw customers.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
A federal judge has called out an immigration enforcement agent for using artificial intelligence to write the narrative of a use-of-force report as just a small part of a scathing opinion that rebutted federal officials' narratives about appropriate force used against protesters and others during an ongoing immigration crackdown in Chicago.
Frank Gehry was known for designing the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Netflix on Friday said it will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO.
Starting Wednesday, riders on the Chicago Transit Authority system will hear a recognizable Chicago voice during their commutes.
Three different times over the past year, popular and longstanding Chicago stage theater spaces have made headlines for their demise. But it's not all bad news by any stretch.
Joe Colborn, better known as Joe "JoBo" Bohannon on Chicago radio, died this week.
With Christmas around the corner, some families have their trees up and decorated — and the Chicago Fire Department wants to ensure that those families have fire safety in mind.
The goal of the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital opening next week in California is to treat patients without harming the environment. Marybel Gonzalez gives us a behind-the-scenes look.
The Kennedy Center Honors are happening while President Trump deals with a controversy over military strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. Wendy Gillette reports.
Continuity is key for the Chicago Wolves, who return a rare 19 players this season — including Skyler Brind'Amour. Jori Parys reports.
Suzanne Le Mignot snapped a photo of the last supermoon of the year last week, while Mary Kay Kleist shows us the Believe House on Sleight Street in Naperville with its holiday decorations.
A Chicago police officer was shot in the protective vest in Morgan Park, while officers also shot a suspected gunman, and police said a teen was shot twice.
A winter weather system dropped 6 inches of fresh snow in some parts of the greater Chicago area Sunday morning, and prompted a ground stop at O'Hare International Airport.
Elgin police officers were told by the agent that the crash occurred while they were conducting an enforcement activity.
With Christmas around the corner, some families have their trees up and decorated — and the Chicago Fire Department wants to ensure that those families have fire safety in mind.
Blase Cardinal Cupich visited the Cook County Jail on Sunday to observe the Jubilee of Prisoners.
A Chicago woman battling ALS said she's been struggling just to get a disabled parking space in front of her Bridgeport home.
Days after new Cook County Chief Judge Charles Beach ordered an urgent review of the county's electronic monitoring program, Sheriff Tom Dart said this crisis isn't new, and that he's been warning lawmakers of problems for years.
Charles Beach was sworn in on Monday as Cook County's first new chief judge in 24 years, and takes over amid a political firestorm over what appears to be systemic issues with how accused criminals are being monitored before trial.
Some Chicagoans found out the hard way on Monday that the overnight winter parking ban is in effect.
The electronic monitoring system in Cook County has come under increased scrutiny, after a woman was set on fire in a horrific arson attack on the Blue Line, with critics demanding answers as to why the suspect wasn't already behind bars.
A ticket from Michael Jordan's first home game with the Chicago Bulls 41 years ago sold for more than $7,600 at auction.
Brandt Clarke scored twice to help Los Angeles break out of an offensive funk, Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves and the Kings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0 on Saturday night to split a two-game set.
His father, Rod, is an NHL great who is currently the head coach of the Wolves' affiliate, the Carolina Hurricanes.
Pascal Siakam scored a season-high 36 points, Bennedict Mathurin added 28 and the Indiana Pacers beat the struggling Chicago Bulls 120-105 on Friday night.
Sitting in 1st-place in the NFC standings isn't the only feel-good story for the Bears, as cornerback Nahshon Wright was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Month.
At least one person was killed, and nine others were hurt, in shootings across Chicago this weekend. The ages of the victims range from 18 to 45, according to Chicago police.
A Chicago police officer was shot in the protective vest in the city's Morgan Park neighborhood, while officers also shot a suspected gunman, and police said a teen was shot twice.
The special edition locket was inspired by the James Bond film "Octopussy," which revolves around a plot to steal a rare Faberge egg.
Authorities say the FBI has arrested a man suspected of placing pipe bombs outside RNC and DNC headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A woman from Chicago's northwest suburbs appeared in court Thursday for a shooting that killed another woman in the South Loop in September.
