NWS: Damage In Grayslake Caused By EF-1 Tornado
UPDATE 1:14 p.m.
(CBS) -- Severe storms swept through the Chicago area Sunday afternoon and evening, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
Officials from National Weather Service determined that damage in Grayslake was caused by a tornado. It was an EF-1 class, the lowest strength of tornado, CBS 2's Ed Curran reports.
Still, there was destruction in its wake. The Grayslake fire chief confirms significant damage to the roof at Grayslake Central High School. The storm scattered drywall and other debris across the community and road signs were bent over.
Anthony Karla-Tiras, owner of Bake Sports & Grill in Grayslake, says he had about 24-26 customers when the storms came through Sunday evening and they all took shelter in the basement.
"It was almost like a war going on in the parking lot and then we saw the Warren Electric roof start flying all over, everywhere and now it is a disaster in the back of the building," Karla-Tires said.
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At Annette Jones' home, a tree was knocked down and took down a portion of the roof. She was in the basement at the time the winds blew through.
"Then it got really loud and I went upstairs and nobody was home and that's when I realized what was going on because I never heard an alarm, I never heard anything," Jones said.
Some neighbors say an emergency cell phone text alert was the only warning they received and that showed up minutes after the front rolled through.
CBS 2 has reached out to local police and fire fighters to find out what happened with the emergency sirens. We have not gotten a response.
There were no reports of injuries on Grayslake.
In Wood Dale, one man was killed and more than a dozen others injured after high winds collapsed a tent at the Wood Dale Prairie Festival. The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Steven Nincic.
The storms toppled trees in Rogers Park, with one tree crushing the roof of a car near Glenlake and Paulina. Another downed tree knocked out power to the intersection of Rockwell and Touhy.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation sent out more than 150 workers in response. There were more than 500 weather related emergency calls Sunday night.
Mayor Emanuel got a first-hand look at the damage on Lunt Avenue near Sheridan Road where a large sycamore tree fell, blocking the street.
Emanuel says they should have the entire neighborhood cleaned up by the end of the week.
"This type of damage is obviously quite severe when you can see a 50-year-old like this just totally roots and all uprooted," he said. "I've been in touch with the governor personally, Senator Durbin, Senator Kirk and asking about a way to see if there's a way to claim this area and areas that have been effected as disaster."
In Rosemont, the storm ripped through the Dome at the Ballpark, which housed two softball fields.
As of 9:48 a.m., ComEd reports there were 16,000 customers still without power.
The storms also forced the Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park to evacuate for over an hour Sunday afternoon. The festival also ended a half hour early.
