Déjà Vu: Coal City Hit By Second Tornado In Two Years
CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the second time in 19 months, southwest suburban Coal City was digging out from the rubble, after a powerful tornado tore roofs of houses, and reduced many other buildings to kindling.
Some in the town of 5,600 people were still in the process of rebuilding from the last tornado when Monday night's storm blew through. According to the National Weather Service, it was an EF-3 tornado with estimated winds of 160 mph.
Refugio Luevano was in his house Monday night, just as he was in 2013 when an EF-4 tornado touched down in Coal City.
The 2013 twister sent Luevano to the hospital for three days, after a flying piece of debris ripped open his forehead, requiring 20 stitches, and a three-day hospital stay. It also demolished his home.
Luevano had not even finished getting his home rebuilt when Monday night's tornado hit. At the height of Monday night's storms, the family hunkered down in the basement, feeling a tremendous sense of déjà vu.
In the wake of the storm, his son spoke on his behalf.
"A lot better this time than the last time. The last time was a total loss; I mean, total loss. This time, much lighter," Francisco Luevano said.
It wasn't only homeowners who were buffeted by Monday night's storm. Coal City's fire station District 2 was among the many other non-residential buildings hit by the twister. Despite the damage, firefighters were able to quickly hit the road, and check on storm-stricken neighbors.
The local high school also was damaged by the twister. The baseball diamond and football scoreboard were torn up, and the music department's travel van was ripped from its moorings and blown out the side of the building.
For some victims, it was their first experience with a tornado.
Brenda Fellers rode out the storm at her sister's house. She and her family feared for their lives, and prayed together while the storm passed overhead.
After the tornado was gone, Fellers walked back to her own house, and saw devastation all around. Once she saw her house was okay, her emotions took over.
"I wanted to fall to my knees, and thank the Lord, really; because it could have been so much worse," she said. "It's very emotional. I've never been through something like this. We never lived here through the last storms, so this is all new for us."
A barn no more than 30 yards from her home was destroyed by the twister, while her house was largely undamaged.
In 2013, there were 220 homes damaged by the storm. Officials said it would be a couple days before they have an accounting of the damage this time around.