Massive Fairdale Tornado Was One Of 11 In Illinois Last Week
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.
Watch CBS News
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.
A lot can change in a year; the central Illinois town that literally was torn to pieces by a powerful tornado was seeing new life Monday, one year to the day after that devastating storm.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting over 200 cases statewide amid outbreaks in other states.
Inspectors last week shut down Stella's Diner in Chicago's East Lakeview community after finding a cockroach infestation and other health code violations.
Four people were injured after a crash involving a Chicago police squad car in Humboldt Park on Tuesday morning.
Lower gasoline prices slowed inflation in June, though many household costs remained stubbornly high.
Small business owner Liam Stanton has entered Chicago's 2027 mayoral race.
Of the 162 employees, 82 were from central office positions and the remaining 80 were from those citywide positions, CPS said.
The City Council Finance Committee on Monday backed a plan to spend $425 million in taxpayer funds for new roads, utilities, and other infrastructure supporting Chicago Fire FC's new South Loop stadium in the megaproject known as The 78.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced his pick to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Lindsey Graham's death.
Sen. Mitch McConnell released a statement on his health on Sunday along with a photo of himself and his wife, Elaine Chao, after questions swirled about his condition.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) issued a statement honoring the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), who died this weekend.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
Environmental and community groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to act on a petition challenging U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit renewal.
In the four years since Roe v. Wade was overturned and Illinois became a destination for abortion care, Illinois providers and advocates have rebuilt the state's infrastructure to support the tens of thousands of people who travel to the state for abortion services every year.
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month, raising awareness of a disorder that affects a person's ability to speak, write, and understand both spoken and written language.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
The 46th Taste of Chicago is cashless for the first time, accepting only credit cards, with a drone and fireworks show scheduled for approximately 9:15 p.m. Friday near Buckingham Fountain.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's summer home in Highland Park reopened after a $70 million gut renovation that redesigned the stage to reduce sound levels harmful to musicians.
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop star best known for singing the chart-topping power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 1983, has died. She was 75.
The nominations for the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, with the final season of HBO Max's "Hacks" setting a new record for the most nominations in a single year for a comedy series.
A t-shirt nearly got a man kicked off a United flight from Atlanta to Newark last month.
Chicago Public Schools on Monday announced that it laid off 162 employees from its central office and citywide positions last week. Lauren Victory reports.
Inspectors last week shut down Stella’s Diner in Chicago’s East Lakeview community after finding a cockroach infestation and other health code violations.
Video from the scene at Division Street and Hamlin Avenue shows a squad car with damage to the front of the vehicle and debris on the roadway.
Small business owner Liam Stanton has entered Chicago's 2027 mayoral race.
Of the 162 employees, 82 were from central office positions and the remaining 80 were from those citywide positions, CPS said.
It comes after the office said that its Marine Unit was assisting fire personnel in the search for a missing swimmer in Myers Bay, who went under earlier in the evening.
Inspectors last week shut down Stella's Diner after finding a cockroach infestation and other health code violations.
Small business owner Liam Stanton has entered Chicago's 2027 mayoral race.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting over 200 cases statewide amid outbreaks in other states.
Chicago is bracing for another heat wave, less than two weeks after the last one. This time, the heat comes with air quality concerns.
The university released what it's called a strategy statement about the impact it's already seeing artificial intelligence make on higher education and the legal profession.
New Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke is fighting innocence claims more often than her predecessor, Kim Foxx, and hiring outside counsel to help.
On Tuesday evening, CBS News Chicago reported on wild weeds taking over a property in the South Side's Washington Heights neighborhood, and neighbors who said they spent months trying to get help.
Kevin Jackson was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 22 years in prison before he was freed. Now he has realized his dream by starting a landscaping business. But his quest to be declared innocent continues.
The Cliburns are one of 10 sets of twins in MLB history to reach the major leagues.
Paige Bueckers had 22 points and 11 assists, Jessica Shepard added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and the Dallas Wings beat the Chicago Sky 96-91.
Chicago (50-45) swept the three-game series by outscoring the A's 24-2 after getting swept in three games against Boston.
Chicago took two of three from the Reds and entered the All-Star break at 54-42, in position for an NL wild card and five games back of NL Central-leading Milwaukee.
Michael Busch had three hits and Carson Kelly also went deep for the Cubs, who improved to 3-2 on their six-game trip before the All-Star break.
Burglars smashed into a gas station minimart in the south Chicago suburb of Calumet City, Illinois, early Monday.
Armed robbers held up a restaurant in Chicago's Roseland community early Monday morning, police said.
Burglars tried unsuccessfully to take an ATM from a store in Chicago's West Town community early Monday, police said.
A person was shot early Monday morning on Interstate 57 in Chicago's south suburbs in what a source said was a road rage incident.
A woman has been charged after a burglary and standoff in Aurora, Illinois, this weekend.