ABC News(NEW YORK) — Parts of the Midwest were hit with severe weather Tuesday evening, including tornadoes and thunderstorms that claimed at least two fatalities.
As of early Wednesday morning, there were at least 21 tornadoes reported across the Midwest, with more than half of those occurring in Illinois.
UPDATE: Tornado Watch extended until 4am for counties shaded in red including Chicago. pic.twitter.com/TDUDePPBPB
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) March 1, 2017
Dramatic video shows tornado that touched down in Washburn, Illinois, as severe storms move across parts of Midwest. https://t.co/i0ilDbQ7dT pic.twitter.com/ug6WzZcLRx
— ABC News (@ABC) March 1, 2017
Some of the most widespread damage was found in Ottawa, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The warning for this area described the tornado responsible for the damage as particularly dangerous.
At its peak, the Ameren Utility website showed that about 7,500 people were left without power in the Ottawa area, and just over 10,000 without power statewide.
The deputy chief of the Ottawa Fire Department told ABC News that the city has sustained one fatality.
OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Ottawa said it received about 14 patients who sustained injuries as a result of the storm. Most of the injuries were caused by falling tree limbs or traffic accidents, the hospital said.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, an apparent tornado picked up at least 15 cars from a junkyard near I-55, and dumped them on the interstate. One of the junk cars hit an occupied vehicle on the interstate, killing its occupant, a resident of nearby Perryville.
At least two people killed, one in Illinois and one in Missouri, as tornadoes reported across parts of the Midwest. https://t.co/Bh5rptyQPO pic.twitter.com/zAw3Rg2k0F
— ABC News (@ABC) March 1, 2017
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner announced Tuesday evening that the State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield has been activated.
A photo out of central Illinois shows a large tornado forming over farmland.
Nothing like being in #Texas and seeing a post on your mom’s Facebook like this: cc: @Met_mdclark #holyballs #thatsmyfarm #WTF pic.twitter.com/tFaFnEV0dH
— Meghan GrebnerConant (@mkg81) February 28, 2017
Flash flooding will also be a concern across the Ohio Valley, where Flash Flood Watches are in effect. From Arkansas to Indiana, there were more than 70 reports of hail, some up to the size of baseballs.
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