Tornado's reported near Peoria!!!

[AbbyJaneway]

I need to check my car for hail damage. There wasn't anything obvious when I got in to drive to work this morning but I didn't have time to look over it thoroughly. My car is only 2 months old so I'm praying for no damage. I feel very lucky to not have been in the direct path of the tornadoes. Here in Normal I've seen some bent street signs and the buildings in my apartment complex lost a few shutters. If there were any downed tree limbs it was all cleaned up by this morning. And my electricity stayed on through the whole thing. My heart goes out to those who weren't as fortunate.

[BstYet2Be]

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See: Midwest Tornado Outbreak: Death Toll Rises as Officials First Real Look at Damage - weather.com Deadly Tornadoes: How it Happened

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by this terrible tornado outbreak, especially to those that lost their homes and to the families and friends of those that lost their lives, a horribly sad day in the midwest!
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[linicx]

The total damage is unkown. It has not been assessed by FEMA or any other authority. For readers not living in the area some things need to be explained. Central Illinois from border to border is a patchwork of small isolated communities 10-20 miles apart that are separated by thousands of acres of crop and heavily forested areas. Because Illinois is physically a large state with the 5th largest population, and because it has an inordinate amount of traffic between St. Louis and Chicago there are many county, state, federal, and Interstate highways. Central Illinois is a mix of cllifs, high rolling hills, prairie, rivers, lakes, and fickle weather. Many home has basements because tornadoes are not uncommon.

The storms on Sunday were unusual for a number of reasons. The temperature was thirty degrees or more above normal for mid-November with high winds. It was moist as it had rained 1.6" in Peoria and set a new record for rainfall in one day. And it was a fast moving storm. The number of tornadoes that allegedly spawned in the same general area about the same time is very unusual, perhaps even unprecedented. As one tornado does not normally form and move in opposite directions at the same time, it very suspect as to where the first touched down.

The majority of the damage reported was not in any city. It was in areas outside of the physical boundaries of the cities. There was a lot of trees and power lines downed. There was a lot of debris. The exception was Washington. It is located on US 24 a East-West route.
Some of the reports state there were two tornadoes. One was on the west side between the city and IL Rt 8, a north-south route that crosses the river. There could have a been second storm on the east side. Another storm broke out in Woodford County not far from Washington (as the crow flies).

The question remains as to the relationship of the areas affected and actual number of tornadoes that were sighted or touched down. The vast majority of those who survived went to their basements to a safe place away from doors and windows. OSF reported eight victims who were in critical condition. The latest count was 75-80 who were treated and released. I don't think all the numbers are in from the 10 hospitals in the 35 mile area.

It is still being assessed.

[linicx]

Hail is an interesting event that often occurs with a tornado. I was in one in 1983/4. We had a wooden 14x12 storage unit that was painted. The hail and high winds that came before the tornado and straight line winds sanded the paint off the rear and west side of the storage unit. The roof of the car looked like it had been hit repeatedly with a ball peen hammer. The wind drove a limb through a wall into a spare bedroom.

Originally Posted by AbbyJaneway

I need to check my car for hail damage. There wasn't anything obvious when I got in to drive to work this morning but I didn't have time to look over it thoroughly. My car is only 2 months old so I'm praying for no damage. I feel very lucky to not have been in the direct path of the tornadoes. Here in Normal I've seen some bent street signs and the buildings in my apartment complex lost a few shutters. If there were any downed tree limbs it was all cleaned up by this morning. And my electricity stayed on through the whole thing. My heart goes out to those who weren't as fortunate.

[AbbyJaneway]

Originally Posted by linicx

Hail is an interesting event that often occurs with a tornado. I was in one in 1983/4. We had a wooden 14x12 storage unit that was painted. The hail and high winds that came before the tornado and straight line winds sanded the paint off the rear and west side of the storage unit. The roof of the car looked like it had been hit repeatedly with a ball peen hammer. The wind drove a limb through a wall into a spare bedroom.

Wow, that's crazy!

[linicx]

No, it's a tornado. After the hail stopped it was still and deathly quiet. Not a bird chirp, or the honk of a flock of geese for a few short minutes. Then the sky blackened and I heard the train whistle in the distance. I could tell by the sound it was coming from the Northwest and moving fast. It lifted before the place where I lived and continued ESE as it passed through a built up area of brick homes. restaurants, mall, small shopping centers, ect. The damage was estimated at over $1M.

The straight line winds that followed the path of the tornado before it lifted came into my 'hood and made a complete mess of everything - as the high winds tend to do. It started with a limb in my house, and ended with a patio awning being ripped off the back side of the house, windows damaged, and a new unfinished garage partially pushed off its foundation. Then it was gone. Birds chirped, dogs barked, and all was right with the world. Residents went outside to assess the damage, pick up the debris and small limbs, and do some minor yard maintenance. Everyone who was physically able helped in some small way.

In a couple of hours enough debris and limbs had been picked up or moved so that utility trucks could come in. We did not have power. We did not lose a tree, a telephone line or a light pole. As a neighborhood, we were very fortunate as no one left their home.