Naperville Tornado Levels Home, Residents 'Pulled From Rubble'

NAPERVILLE, IL — A tornado in Naperville late Sunday destroyed 16 homes and sent at least eight people to the hospital. A home in the 1800 block of Princeton Circle was leveled by the tornado and its residents had to be "pulled from the rubble," Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said in a press conference Monday.

“You wonder where’s the rest of the house...in the backyard and over to the right," Chief Puknaitis said, calling this circumstance a "blessing in disguise."

"[T]hat rubble could have buried those folks," Puknaitis said .

High winds ripped through the city's Ranchview neighborhood, rendering 15 more homes uninhabitable. As of 1:30 p.m., Naperville reports that more than 130 homes have sustained damage.

"This has been a tragic day," said Chief Puknaitis. He added, "I can’t remember the last time a tornado of this magnitude came through the City of Naperville.”

Still, Puknaitis said things "could have been a lot worse."

“It’s amazing that we can stand here and report that we only had eight people transported to hospitals," he said.

Puknaitis said two patients who were in critical condition had been upgraded to "good" and "fair" condition.

In nearby Woodridge, three people were hospitalized for injuries sustained in the weather event.

The storm uprooted at least 100 trees and downed power lines throughout Ranchview and surrounding neighborhoods, leaving at least 450 people in the area without power, city officials reported in a news release. Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger said 100 utility poles had been "snapped" or "sheared off."

Electricity was anticipated to be restored by midnight Tuesday, after crews replace the damaged power lines.

6 Injured, 12 Homes Damaged As Storm Hits Naperville

Just after 2 a.m., Nicor reported no gas leaks in connection with the storm.

A confirmed tornado touched down in Woodridge, near the Bolingbrook border. "[A]t least a large part of" the damage nearby was caused by a tornado, the National Weather Service said, adding that Naperville, Woodridge and Darien were severely impacted.

Monday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported finding damage in Naperville consistent with an EF-3 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. An EF-3 rating tornado can bring wind gusts of up to 160 mph.

“Our community was tested once again last night," Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico said as he thanked residents, first responders and nearby municipalities during Monday's press conference.

“The generosity of our community has not gone unnoticed," Chirico said, adding, "We will for sure come through this."

This is a developing story. Check back with Patch for updates. If you have photos of storm damage, send them to shannon.antinori@patch.com, and please include the town where it happened.

More tornado coverage:

• Tornado Damage Devastates Woodridge, Naperville, Darien: Photos
• 'Devastating' Illinois Tornado Tore Through 3 Miles, Injured 8
• Illinois Tornado: 5 Things To Know About Sunday's Storms
• Naperville Tornado Latest: 1 Critically Hurt, Families Displaced
• At Least 2 Darien Areas Hit Hard In Storm
• Tornado In Woodridge, Injuries In Naperville, Gas Leaks: Reports