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A week after a deadly tornado devastated the small town of Fairdale, there already have been signs of major progress, but lots more work is needed as survivors recover from the storm.
Last Thursday's severe weather created a total of 11 tornadoes in Illinois, including the rare EF-4 storm that destroyed much of two small towns west of Chicago.
For nearly a week now, WBBM Newsradio traffic reporter Kris Habermehl has been in the tornado zone near Rockford, serving as a volunteer firefighter.
Video posted on YouTube shows a North Carolina man's close encounter with one of the powerful tornadoes that hit Illinois near Rockford last week.
A photo from the home of a Fairdale tornado victim was found 35 miles away, reports WBBM's Mariam Sobh.
Tom Ciciora has been involved in amateur radio, or ham radio, for more than 40 years. He said, when thunderstorm or tornado warnings are issued by the National Weather Service, amateur radio enthusiasts will head toward areas where it might be worst, using smartphone app radar as a guide.
Neighbors in Fairdale and Rochelle have been rallying together to pick up the pieces, and get through this difficult time, after Thursday's devastating tornado. Survivors and volunteers spent the entire weekend cleaning, but there's still a lot of work left to do.
At least one animal shelter near tornado-ravaged Fairdale is housing several pets, but not because they can't find the owners.
Volunteers and donations continue to pour into Fairdale, days after much of it was destroyed by a tornado. WBBM's Nancy Harty spoke with a volunteer on the ground.
Missy the German shepherd had been spotted in video following Thursday's devastating tornado, but was apparently traumatized by the event and was on the run, a family member says.
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 Thursday's tornado and the devastation it brought, Emily Dickow wasn't asking for much. CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.
Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle says he got a call from Woodstock Police, who found some of his mail – 60 miles away. CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.
Both Geraldine Schultz, 67, and 69-year-old Jacklyn Klosa were friends and lived in Fairdale, which was leveled Thursday evening by an EF-4 tornado that reached 200 mph.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot talks with Erin Johnson of Rochelle, whose home was ripped off its foundation Thursday.
Authorities in the tornado zones in Rochelle and Fairdale have asked people wanting to help the victims not to get in their cars to make the trip, but do what they can from home instead.
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.
Dozens of families in two towns in north central Illinois were left sifting through the rubble, after tornadoes leveled their homes.
Daylight brought a harsh reality in the tiny town of Fairdale: The tornado that hit the night before essentially spared nothing.
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.
Residents of an Illinois community devastated by a tornado in November 2013 were coming together Friday to help the victims of Thursday's deadly tornado in Fairdale, Illinois.
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.
Today, the town of Diamond, Illinois, 60 miles southwest of Chicago, looks like an idyllic community with new homes, green lawns and swimming pools, but it looked anything but nice one year ago.
Dogs dressed up in Christmas sweaters are hard to resist. PAWS Chicago hopes the cuteness alone makes you consider adopting this weekend at their annual Holiday Adopt-a-Thon.
There is a large Chicago Fire Department response and a mayday has been called at a house fire in the city's West Chatham neighborhood.
A man accused of punching multiple women in the face in the Loop this week was seen wearing an ankle monitor while he did it. Prosecutors said he shouldn't have been out on the street at all.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
With Chicago facing a projected deficit of more than $1 billion in 2026, why does the city's salary database show at least a dozen aldermanic aides with salaries close to $200,000? The database is wrong, but staffers are getting hefty bonuses.
With Chicago facing a projected deficit of more than $1 billion in 2026, why does the city's salary database show at least a dozen aldermanic aides with salaries close to $200,000? The database is wrong, but staffers are getting hefty bonuses.
A ruling striking down emergency levies could force the federal government to return most of the tariff revenue it has collected this year, according to Penn Wharton.
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.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
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.
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.
Preparations are well underway for the return of Operation North Pole next weekend. The charity will host more than 70 children battling life-threatening illnesses, along with their families, on a Metra train decked out for the holidays to take them to a winter wonderland.
Dogs dressed up in Christmas sweaters are hard to resist. PAWS Chicago hopes the cuteness alone makes you consider adopting this weekend at their annual Holiday Adopt-a-Thon.
Chicago firefighters called in a mayday response while batting a house fire Friday evening in the West Chatham neighborhood near the Dan Ryan Expressway, but officials said all firefighters later were accounted for.
There is a large Chicago Fire Department response and a mayday has been called at a house fire in the city’s West Chatham neighborhood.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First Alert Weather forecast
The fire started around 5 p.m. at a home near 82nd and Lafeyette, sending heavy smoke over the neighborhood and the nearby Dan Ryan Expressway.
A man accused of punching multiple women in the face in the Loop this week was seen wearing an ankle monitor while he did it. Prosecutors said he shouldn't have been out on the street at all.
With Chicago facing a projected deficit of more than $1 billion in 2026, why does the city's salary database show at least a dozen aldermanic aides with salaries close to $200,000? The database is wrong, but staffers are getting hefty bonuses.
Chicago weather this weekend will be frigid, with wind chills pushing temperatures below zero into the double digits.
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.
With Chicago facing a projected deficit of more than $1 billion in 2026, why does the city's salary database show at least a dozen aldermanic aides with salaries close to $200,000? The database is wrong, but staffers are getting hefty bonuses.
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.
Moore, 39, is charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering.
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.
A man accused of punching multiple women in the face in the Loop this week was seen wearing an ankle monitor while he did it. Prosecutors said he shouldn't have been out on the street at all.
Moore, 39, is charged with third-degree felony home invasion, as well as misdemeanor counts of stalking and of breaking and entering.
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.
