BLOOMINGTON — One person was killed in Ottawa and emergency crews are looking for people trapped in rubble in the neighboring town of Naplate in the wake of a string of severe, late-winter storms that raked across northern Illinois.
The National Weather Service reported a tornado touched down in Ottawa, about 70 miles north of Bloomington-Normal, about 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The Ottawa Fire Department confirmed there was one fatality in Ottawa, but further details were not yet available.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday at OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa, two patients were being treated for storm-related injuries, said OSF spokeswoman Libby Allison. One patient was in critical condition, the other was in serious condition, she said.
The LaSalle County Nursing Home on the southwestern edge of Ottawa sustained heavy damage but there apparently were no injuries at the site. Patients at the nursing home were evacuated to a nearby school.
“We got hit hard but everyone including residents and staff are safe and accounted for,” nursing home officials said in a Facebook post. “Your prayers are greatly appreciated.”
The Associated Press reported that a woman answering the telephone at the nursing home said several residents reported bumps and bruises but no serious injuries. Trees and power lines were also down in the area.
Emergency crews have been sent to Naplate, where several structures were heavily damaged and there were fears people are trapped under the debris.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has activated the State Emergency Operations Center to ensure state agencies are in place to give any assistance needed by those affected by Tuesday’s storms.
A tornado watch remained in effect in northern and central Illinois until 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka and OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac reported treating no patients for storm-related injuries Tuesday evening.
In Woodford County, buildings in Washburn were damaged from another tornado about 5:30 p.m. There were no reports of injuries and officials reported several branches and wires down.
The NWS also reported a tornado near Toluca in Marshall County. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage associated with that storm.
A rope tornado was reported about 6 p.m. 5 miles northeast of Rutland, but there was no report of damaged, according to the National Weather Service at Chicago.
The Storm Prediction Center cautioned that 44 million people from Arkansas to Ohio faced some risk, and that the area from the Missouri Bootheel into Indiana faced a “moderate risk” for severe weather. The instability from competing storms was expected to merge there later Tuesday, causing concerns that storms may hit while people are sleep.
Up to 0.5 of an inch of rain is expected Tuesday night in Central Illinois, but some storms may produce locally heavy rainfall.
Tuesday night’s low is expected to be around 46 degrees. On Wednesday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and the temperatures will fall to about 40 degrees.
With the threat for severe weather and a potential for high winds and tornadoes throughout much of Ameren Illinois’ service territory today and this evening, the company activated its Emergency Operations Center as of 3 p.m. Tuesday to help coordinate response efforts. Employees have been placed on alert and are prepared to respond quickly in the event of service disruptions this evening.
“Given the prediction for severe weather this evening, Ameren Illinois is taking appropriate steps to be able to quickly and safely address disruptions to the system should that become a concern this evening,” said Ron Pate, senior vice president of Operations and Technical Services, Ameren Illinois.
by PANTAGRAPH STAFF WITH AP REPORTS
February 28, 2017
