At least seven killed, 85 injured after tornado outbreak in US Midwest

LAKE TOWNSHIP, OHIO (BNO NEWS) — Several tornadoes rage through central Illinois and Ohio on Saturday night killing at least seven people, injuring dozens and causing major damage, officials said.

The National Weather Service confirmed that several tornadoes touched down in Elmwood, Streator, Dwight, Kankakee, Buckingham and Lostant in Illinois.

The first tornadoes were spotted Saturday afternoon near Elmwood, an unincorporated community west of Peoria in central Illinois. At least two tornadoes touched down in Elmwood within four minutes causing widespread damage.

Two tornadoes produced extensive damage in Streator and Dwight, IL, northwest of Peoria. In Streator people were trapped in homes and heavy damage was reported as several homes were leveled. Streator Mayor Jimmie Lansford confirmed 50 injured and 30 buildings with major structural damage.

In Dwight, a tornado produced heavy damage to the south part of the town. At least 14 people were injured, according to local officials.

Another tornado struck in Ohio’s Wood County, 30 miles south of Toledo. Emergency officials reported at least 7 deaths and 10 injuries in Lake Township. The tornado destroyed at least 50 buildings, including emergency services buildings and a high school.

In Michigan, at least 11 people were injured when a severe thunderstorm struck the Frenchtown Charter Township. Damage was reported at the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant, prompting an automatic shutdown.

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