Kankakee sees damage from hail, tornado during Tuesday evening storms

Shaw Local

Kankakee County, including Kankakee, Aroma Park, Bourbonnais and Bradley, was hit by a severe storm Tuesday evening that led to wires being down and extensive damage to homes and businesses.

The National Weather Service confirmed in an earlier tornado warning that a tornado had touched down in Aroma Park.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office said it is still assessing the damage from the tornado, but there haven’t been any injuries reported as of yet.

Rescue crews were scouring the village located southeast of Kankakee.

The City of Kankakee said the southern part of the city has been hit hard, and all roadways south of town heading into Aroma Park should be avoided. US Route 45 and 52 is closed from River Road to Interstate 57’s exit 308.

“The city is aware of downed wires in several alleys and is working to barricade those areas until service can occur,” reads a Facebook post. “Additionally, several streets are flooded at the intersections. The city advises that all people remain in their homes and avoid all roadways in the City of Kankakee until further notice.”

Kankakee Police Chief Chris Kidwell said first responders were dealing with house fires, power lines down, and lots of trees down.

“I’m just trying to find out where all this damage is and put out house fires. We got poles down and everything else,” Kidwell said.

Kidwell said it appeared at least a microburst hit the south side of Kankakee.

Kidwell’s department suffered weather damage, as numerous squad vehicles had windows broken out by the hail that was at least baseball-sized in areas.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office was dealing with weather-related issues at its building as well as working on emergency efforts.

The sheriff’s office reported that drivers need to use extreme caution, as there are wires down throughout the region.

Police said they identified a tornado on the ground at around 6:19 p.m. Tuesday near the Kankakee County Fairgrounds. The tornado continued northeast, where it crossed the Kankakee River into Aroma Park.

Sheriff’s deputies and other emergency personnel are checking for injuries and assessing damage. The sheriff’s department reiterated the City of Kankakee’s urging that residents and motorists limit travel as much as possible due to fallen trees, wires, and other debris.

The 911 Center is also overwhelmed with emergency calls, and those with non-emergency inquiries should avoid calling 911.

There are many roads closed due to debris on the road, including US Route 45. Route 45 is being redirected onto South Tech Road and Industrial Road.

The storm brought storm chasers and Weather Channel meteorologists to the community.

Charles Peek, with the Weather Channel, was in Aroma Park sending back storm damage video to the network. Meteorologist Mike Bettes said this is early in the season for a storm this powerful.

The National Weather Service issued more warnings for this storm as it entered Indiana.

This is a developing story. The Daily Journal will provide updates as they come.

1 of 10