Damage From Tornado In Naperville Sunday Night Deemed Consistent With EF-3 Rating
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The damage from the tornado that struck Naperville and other west and southwest suburbs late Sunday night has been deemed consistent with an EF-3 rating.
The NWS said while most of the damage is consistent with lower wind speeds corresponding to the EF-1 and EF-2 ratings, the damage near Princeton Circle in Naperville corresponded to an EF-3 rating with peak wind speeds near 140 mph.
NWS survey places initial rating at an EF-3 with winds between 136-165 mph.
The NWS said this was the first significant tornado -- with an Enhanced Fujita Scale rating of EF-2 or higher -- to impact the Chicago area since an EF-3 tornado hit Coal City in Grundy and Will counties in 2015. The Coal City tornado in turn was That the strongest Chicago metro area tornado since the deadly EF-5 that devastated the town of Plainfield in 1990.
CBS 2 Meteorologist Tammie Souza reported this was also the most significant tornado in DuPage County since June 13, 1976 – 45 years ago.
The tornado started in Naperville and ended near Willow Springs, amid severe and dangerous thunderstorms that also brought heavy rain and dangerous wind to the entire Chicago area.
On Monday morning, residents in one Naperville neighborhood in the area of Princeton Circle and Ranchview Drive woke up to extensive damage. Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said more than 100 homes were damaged.
Some had windows blown out, others have holes in their roofs and some lost entire walls.
Many residents will not be allowed back in their home until repairs are made, and some home will have to be demolished.
A total of 14 people taken to hospitals following the tornado, but only two were still hospitalized as of Monday afternoon.