Suspected Tornado Plows Through Sycamore, Leaving Homes Damaged, Trees Down, Power Out
SYCAMORE, Ill. (CBS) -- A suspected tornado plowed through Sycamore in DeKalb County late Monday, ripping down trees and churning up dirt and debris on the road.
CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov counted at least three homes that were damaged, one of which had its roof ripped off. While everyone in the house that lost its roof was safe, damage assessments were soon to begin – and many were also without power.
The storm left a debris field for half a mile. Sheet metal and huge branches were strewn across the yard after the suspected tornado ripped through – also destroying half of a barn in its wake.
Just northeast, Larry Hageman was working in his son's barn with Greg Kmieciak, when Kmieciak got an ominous call.
"He got a phone call from his wife, and she was so upset – and said the house was just blown apart," Hagemann said.
Kmieciak's wife had been knitting when the storm came in, and was trying to close the back sliding screen door when the tornado touched down.
"All of a sudden, the whole door went poof – right out away from her," Hagemann said. "The windows went out."
The house moved from its foundation before the twister headed east down Plank Road. Then it hit Jimmy Darnell's yard - ripping his shed apart, leaving a massive tree branch on his sister's car, and destroying their gazebo.
The Darnells' house was almost untouched. They saw the twister and made it into the basement with less than a minute to spare.
Kozlov: "You must feel very grateful."
Darnell: "Grateful, yes. Everybody in my family is OK. Our family pet's fine. We just have to clean up now."
Darnell said his family was watching the news and keeping an eye on alerts on their phones – which may have helped save them from injury.
As for the Kmieciaks' house, it was moved off its foundation by about two feet – so they are not sure they are going to be able to move back into their home.
LIVE UPDATES: Dangerous Storms Spur Tornadoes In Greater Chicago Area
