At least six have been confirmed dead in the set of powerful tornadoes and thunderstorms that pummeled across the Midwest on Sunday, hitting Illinois particularly hard.
“The whole neighborhood’s gone,” said one Illinois resident, Michael Perdun, to CBS, “The wall of my fireplace is all that is left of my house.”
Officials at Soldier Field in Chicago called for an evacuation of the stands, and the Bears game was put on delay. Meanwhile, dozens of neighborhoods were outright flattened, as untold numbers in Illinois and surrounding states were left homeless by the intense storm system.
Among the dead, CBS reported: An elderly man and his sister, after a tornado knocked down their home while they were inside, said coroner Mark Styniger. Another person was killed in Washington and three more in Massac County, in the southernmost region of Illinois, said a spokesman with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
Communication systems are down, several roads are blocked off, and officials warn the death count may go higher.
The Illinois National Guard has sent out 10 firefighters and three vehicles to help with search and recovery, CBS reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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