UPDATE: Tornado, Damage Reported In Western Illinois
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A powerful tornado ripped through southwest suburban Coal City on Monday, leaving massive path of destruction in its path. Residents have been picking up the pieces ever since, and on Friday they were getting much needed help.
It has been a tense 24 hours in tornado-ravaged Coal City, with residents bracing for another onslaught of rain Wednesday night and early Thursday. There were heavy downpours overnight, but not nearly as much as had been expected, allowing residents to breathe a small sigh of relief Thursday morning.
It's a race against Mother Nature in Coal City as residents there try to clean up as much tornado damage as possible before severe weather rolls in once again.
The tornado that tore through the town of Coal City on Monday evening was the strongest such storm to hit the Chicago metro area in 25 years.
With lots of cleanup ahead in Coal City, after Monday night's tornado, a special volunteer effort has been planned for Friday.
More bad weather on Wednesday could hamper recovery efforts in Coal City, which was hit by an EF-3 tornado Monday night. It was the most powerful tornado to hit the Chicago metropolitan area in nearly 25 years.
One of Monday night's tornadoes narrowly missed Exelon Nuclear's Braidwood plant. But the utility insists no one was endangered.
Governor Bruce Rauner toured the damage in tornado-ravaged Coal City first from the air and then on the ground, reports CBS 2's Derrick Blakley.
Survey teams with the National Weather Service have confirmed at least two tornados touched down Monday night, when powerful damaging storms swept through the western and southwestern suburbs.
For the second time in 19 months, southwest suburban Coal City was digging out from the rubble, after a powerful tornado tore roofs of houses, and reduced many other buildings to kindling.
Only a few hundred people live in the tiny hamlet of Sublette, about 100 miles west of Chicago, but it's a good bet each and every one of them felt the sting of Monday's storms, after a tornado hit the village.
A tornado ripped through Coal City, Illinois, on Monday. It was the second time in less than two years that the small town was devastated by a tornado.
Al Steinz was driving to Troy Grove, Illinois, when he spotted a tornado to the north, near Sublette.
National Weather Service crews were headed out Tuesday to try to confirm reports of up to six tornados touching down Monday in Grundy, LaSalle, Lee, and Will counties, including three already confirmed in Ottawa, Sublette, and Coal City.
The tornado reportedly touched down in the community of Sublette shortly after 8 p.m.
The congressional delegation for Illinois is asking President Barack Obama to make a disaster declaration allowing small businesses to get loans in recovery from severe storms and tornadoes in northern Illinois in April.
A tornado was the likely cause of the storm damage on Tuesday in south suburban Summit.
DeKalb County officials have said they're committed to making sure everyone who wants to rebuild after last month's tornado in the small town of Fairdale can clear any legal hurdles that might be in their way.
Fairdale residents whose homes were lost or severely damaged in last month's tornado have been learning rebuilding is not going to be so easy.
This weekend marks one month since a deadly tornado devastated the small town of Fairdale, and while cleanup efforts continue, most volunteers who showed up in the wake of the storm have moved on.
CBS 2 has hundreds of Weather Watchers across the Chicago area and many of them are real weather enthusiasts.
CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reports from northern Illinois, which was hit by tornadoes two weeks ago.
Richard Burtch is accused of stealing six to seven pickup loads worth of supplies, from tarps and tubs, to wheelbarrows and rakes, DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said.
In the face of disaster, a Chicago boy's acts of kindness continue to grow. Samuel Love is organizing another toy drive, this time for the victims of last week's deadly tornadoes.
A man is in critical condition after he was stabbed inside a Burger King on Chicago's Northwest Side on Friday morning.
Chicago weather this weekend will be frigid, with wind chills pushing temperatures below zero into the double digits.
Two days after he was fired as head coach at the University of Michigan, Sherrone Moore was charged Friday in connection with what authorities have said is an assault investigation.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday making Illinois the newest state allowing medically assisted dying in terminally ill residents.
If you're looking for a new furry friend, PAWS Chicago is hosting their holiday adopt-a-thon this weekend.
A federal appeals court has blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago-area immigration crackdown.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released 19 photos from a trove of images obtained from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
Indiana state police said "numerous" state lawmakers had faced bomb threats and been the subject of swatting hoaxes amid the push for redistricting.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors are starting to select the jurors who will decide whether a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal officers broke the law.
Joel Brennan, a former top official in Gov. Tony Evers' administration, announced Thursday that he is running to succeed the two-term Democrat, joining a crowded primary field for the 2026 election.
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.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
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.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
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.
Paramount Skydance's $30 per share offer comes just days after Netflix agreed to buy parts of Warner Bros. in a deal valued at nearly $83 billion.
The nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes have been announced. Here are the nominees.
Landon Wallace, better known as Power 92 radio and Chicago Bulls mixer DJ Commando, died last week.
Thirty-five years after throngs headed to a theater near them to see "Home Alone," you can have a lovely cheese pizza, just for you, like Macaulay Culkin's Kevin McCallister character did.
Frank Gehry was known for designing the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Chicago weather this weekend will be frigid, with wind chills pushing temperatures below zero into the double digits.
Get in the holiday spirit with "Charles Dickens Begrudgingly Performs A Christmas Carol Again" at Theater Wit. Vince Gerasole has your ticket.
Scattered flurries Friday before an arctic blast brings sub-zero wind chills to Chicago over the weekend. Get the latest seven day forecast from our First Alert Weather team.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released 19 photos obtained from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
A federal appeals court has blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago-area immigration crackdown.
Friday is the forced move-out deadline at the South Shore apartment that made national headlines earlier this year after it was raided by federal immigration agents.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday making Illinois the newest state allowing medically assisted dying in terminally ill residents.
A federal appeals court has blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago-area immigration crackdown.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released 19 photos from a trove of images obtained from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein. Follow live updates here.
Chicago weather this weekend will be frigid, with wind chills pushing temperatures below zero into the double digits.
The new charges for a man facing federal charges after allegedly lighting a woman on fire on the CTA Blue Line has exposed a range of gaps in the criminal justice system, experts say.
The Cook County Assessor said the county's commercial businesses saw millions of dollars cut from their property tax bills this year, and the burden was shifted onto homeowners.
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.
Two days after he was fired as head coach at the University of Michigan, Sherrone Moore was charged Friday in connection with what authorities have said is an assault investigation.
When the Chicago Bears take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, players and fans are in for one of the coldest games at Soldier Field in years. The sub-zero wind chills in the forecast have some fans trying to unload their tickets.
Next spring, the Joliet Slammers will play a game on the Old Joliet Prison baseball diamond where inmates used to play ball before the prison was shut down in the early 2000s.
The Blackhawks have scored first in 12 of 15 home games, which leads the NHL. Chicago has also allowed just four first-period goals, the fewest in the league.
The University of Michigan appointed Biff Poggi as interim head coach after Sherrone Moore was terminated.
Two days after he was fired as head coach at the University of Michigan, Sherrone Moore was charged Friday in connection with what authorities have said is an assault investigation.
A federal appeals court has blocked the immediate release of hundreds of immigrants detained during a Chicago-area immigration crackdown.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors are starting to select the jurors who will decide whether a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal officers broke the law.
Chicago police on Thursday warned of a pattern of armed robberies in the Morgan Park neighborhood committed by people who arranged to buy shoes.
Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. They plan to seek the death penalty.
