Cleanup Begins After EF-1 Tornado Hits Manhattan, Illinois
CHICAGO (CBS) -- According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that hit the Village of Manhattan, Illinois Tuesday night was an EF-1 tornado with winds reaching up to 95 miles per hour.
Chopper 2 flew over the one-mile path of destruction in the downtown area. No one was hurt in the tornado.
Mail delivery had to be diverted from the Post Office which was closed today for repairs.
The mayor said 12 buildings sustained minor damage. The biggest problem spot was the post office, which had roof and water damage. Nearly all the shingles were torn off in the storm.
About 12 structures suffered minor damage and countless tree limbs and power lines need to be cleaned up.
Cell phone video captured a funnel cloud touching down in Manhattan just after 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Manhattan residents say the tornado sirens did not go off until after the tornado touched the ground. Manhattan Mayor James Doyle said that issue will be investigated.
"They did go off. People don't realize that you don't hear them in your house, because they're not designed for hearing them in your house, and the wind will push the sound different ways," Doyle said.
The twister took out power to thousands in the area.
In one case, ComEd crews had to pull down a shed that was wrapped around a utility pole in order to restore power.
Several trees were uprooted, and a railroad crossing gate was damaged in the storm.
"The pole by the fire station took some damage of tree limbs and burning wire on the pole," Doyle said. "It came right down Main Street, it affected the Metra crossing gates, it blew out some windows of some of the cars on McClure Street, and it damaged some cars at Kirby's Bakery and the dental office," Doyle said.
The mayor thanked police officers, firefighters, and Will County emergency management teams for their quick response to the storm. Doyle said he feels the town was well prepared for the storm, but he plans to sit down with department heads to evaluate everything.