LENA, Ill. (AP) — A likely tornado tore through a small village in northwest Illinois on Friday, ripping down power lines and trees, stripping roofs and forcing officials to shut down the community.
The storm caused “extensive damage” throughout Lena, with trees and other debris blocking roadways and “compromised structures” causing hazardous conditions, according to the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are extremely fortunate that this storm did not result in loss of life or serious injury,” Sheriff Steve Stovall said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office announced Friday evening on social media that there would be no traffic in or out of the village until further notice. It later said entry was “strictly restricted.”
The National Weather Service said the damage was likely caused by a tornado and it would survey the area over the weekend.
Leo Zach, 14, had just gotten to the village’s high school’s band room for a music competition when the building started shaking and the power went out. He said the room was packed with students and some were very scared and had panic attacks.
“I’m definitely on the luckier side of how that could’ve happened,” he said. “I was just trying to stay calm, help other people.”
When they got outside, they found some of the windows blown out in the gym and part of the school’s roof ripped off.
Photos and video posted online showed a garage totaled, bricks torn off of buildings and fences demolished.
Lena is a village of nearly 3,000 people, located about 117 miles (188 kilometers) northwest of Chicago.
A post on Lena’s Facebook page called the scene “devastating.”
“There will be challenges ahead, but we will rebuild, recover, and come through this stronger together,” the post said.
Rachel Nemon had been going to pick up her stepson from the village’s middle school when she had to pull into a car wash to take cover from the storm. She watched a large tree get ripped from the ground and sparks fly feet in front of her.
“This is something that you see online, not in real life, especially in a small town in Illinois,” she said.
Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post on the social platform X that he’s been briefed on the damage and that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is on the ground.
