Reported tornado in Lena, Illinois, causes major damage; town is shut down

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A tornado touchdown has been reported successful Lena, Illinois, astir 48 miles westbound of Rockford, portion of a monolithic tempest strategy that is barreling toward Chicago Friday afternoon.

A tornado informing was issued for Lena astatine 4:45 p.m. CT, the National Weather Service said. Video from a livestream successful Lena shows the massive, rotating tempest descending connected the town.

There is extended harm successful the storm's wake, according to nationalist officials. The Stephenson County Sheriff's Office posted connected societal media, asking radical to debar going to Lena astatine all.

"There is nary mode to get into municipality owed to trees and wires down," the station said. "Emergency Services are assisting radical per Sheriff Stovall."

The Village of Lena Police Department issued an urgent nationalist information alert on their Facebook page, penning successful part, "Another tempest is moving toward our area. We're already dealing with harm from the earlier tornado, and conditions could get worse quickly. Take structure now."

"Do not spell retired to look astatine damage," the station warns. "Stay disconnected the roads. Our crews are retired working, and we request the roads wide truthful they tin bash their jobs safely. If you're able, cheque connected neighbors—but lone if you tin bash it safely."

Photos from the municipality amusement monolithic trees snapped by precocious winds and toppled over, blocking disconnected roads.

At 6:20 p.m., the Stephenson County Sheriff's Office posted to societal media that Lena is "Shut down" arsenic they brace for a 2nd circular of storms.

"There volition beryllium NO postulation successful oregon retired of municipality per Sheriff Stovall until further notice. Emergency Services are assisting with tempest damage," the post reads.

Schools with students wrong whitethorn person been damaged; nary injuries reported

Radio postulation from nationalist information officials successful Stephenson County said the National Weather Service contacted them astir a ample and "extremely dangerous" tornado conscionable westbound of Lena. According to the vigor traffic, determination were reports that portion of the extortion came disconnected Lena High School and besides harm astatine the simple school. Both schools had students successful them astatine the clip the tempest hit, according to the vigor traffic.

No injuries were reported, and the students were kept harmless wrong arsenic the tempest passed over, but the vigor speech discusses "fairly extended damage" to the exteriors.

School officials and Lena officials person not yet released immoderate authoritative details astir the grade of the tempest damage.

Lena is astir 120 miles westbound of Chicago.

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