Severe weather sweeps through parts of 3 Midwest states

CHICAGO -- At least seven people were injured as severe thunderstorms that swept across northern Illinois spawned at least one tornado, damaged homes and uprooted trees.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, five people were rescued from damaged buildings in a Michigan town and thunderstorms packing strong winds caused damage in Iowa and Wisconsin.

Particularly hard hit Monday night was Coal City, Illinois, a community of approximately 5,000 residents about 60 miles southwest of Chicago where what's believed to have been a twister touched down, the National Weather Service said.

Roads in the city were blocked by fallen trees and power lines, according to Lt. David Doerfler of the Coal City Fire Protection District.

Interstate 55 outside Coal City, which was hit by a tornado less than two years ago, also was shut down for hours due to downed power lines, Illinois State Police said.

Several twisters are believed to have touched down in northwest Illinois, the National Weather Service said.

Further east, a likely tornado caused damage near the Lee County community of Sublette, reports CBS Chicago.

Lee County Sheriff John Simonton said firefighters and other emergency workers responded to reports of damage in Woodhaven Association, a private camping resort. There was lots of flooding and many trees down, including some that fell on association homes.

One person there was hospitalized with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening, and four others described as "walking wounded" were either treated on scene or refused treatment, said Sublette assistant Fire Chief Kevin Schultz. The injury total could still increase, Schultz said.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency was gathering information on the extent of the storm damage.

"We will be standing by all night in the event there is a request for state help," said spokeswoman Patti Thompson.

Commonwealth Edison reported early Tuesday 14,000 customers were without power as a result of the storm. Ameren was reporting 1,000 customers lost power.

The storms were expected to continue east, with parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan under a tornado watch early Tuesday.

In Michigan, a fire official says a severe storm badly damaged at least four houses and knocked down dozens of trees and power lines in an area about 25 miles southeast of Saginaw.

The National Weather Service received reports of a tornado Monday night near Millington in Tuscola County. Jeff Bassett with Millington Fire Department tells the Saginaw News a few people were being treated for minor injuries.

Weather officials were also working to confirm whether a tornado touched down in rural Sanilac County. Sheriff Garry Biniecki told The Flint Journal that his office had gotten reports of damage near Decker, Argyle and Forester.

Earlier Monday, the weather service confirmed a tornado hit Portland, a town near Lansing. Five people were rescued from buildings. The National Weather Service confirmed late on Monday that Portland had been hit with a tornado rated EF1 with winds of around 100 mph.

A wind gust of 95 mph was recorded near the small northwest Iowa town of Sheldon, destroying a hangar at the local airport.

The Times-Herald in Dubuque, Iowa said high winds on Monday lifted the roof off a Menominee, Illinois fire station.

Menominee-Dunleith Fire Department Capt. Al Fleege told the newspaper that two of the three vehicles in the building were severely damaged by the collapse. There were no injuries.