At Least 4 Tornados Confirmed in Illinois; Worst Damage in Seneca, Pontiac

One homeowner says he huddled in a basement with his wife, two children and seven neighbors when a storm that produced a tornado moved into Seneca. Jeff Maierhofer tells WLS-TV that his farm suffered extensive damage Wednesday when the storm hit the village about 70 miles southwest of Chicago. He says everyone is safe “but there’s a lot of damage.” The tornado is one of four confirmed touchdowns in northern Illinois. As many as 18 reports of tornadoes came in Wednesday night.

The weather service said firefighters responded to reports of people trapped in a house in Seneca; no injuries were reported. Minor injuries and damage to a gas station were reported in Pontiac.

A tornado was also reported to have touched down in nearby Earlville, Illinois.

The National Weather Service in Chicago says survey crews will be out on Thursday morning to investigate damage along three separate supercell paths. The weather service says the number of confirmed tornadoes will likely increase.

Officials also plan to survey the damage by air.