Town vanishes as tornadoes rip through northern Illinois
ROCHELLE — A string of tornadoes tore through north central Illinois Thursday, destroying large swaths of several communities.
The DeKalb county coroner told CNN that one person has died as a result of the storms in Fairdale.
The Rockford Fire Department’s Tactical Rescue Team reported on its Twitter account about 9 p.m. that it had recovered one victim during search and rescue efforts in Fairdale.
The first tornadoes were spotted near Rochelle, Illinois about 5:45. The storms then moved northeast to Kirland and Fairdale. VIDEO
Early reports said that Fairdale was nearly leveled.
Search and rescue efforts were underway as nightime fell. The Freeport Fire Department sent about two dozen men and three trucks to provide support manpower and additional supplies in the storm-hit areas.
The small town of Kirkland has sent its public works employees with backhoes, generators and other equipment to the town of Fairdale to help in anyway they can, Village President Les Bellah told the Chicago Tribune.
“Fairdale is pretty well destroyed, from what I understand,” Bellah said. “They’re taking our backhoes and whatever generators and whatever equipment we got over there to assist them. Our fire department is there now on scene as well.”
