The National Weather Service confirms a tornado cut a more than 11-mile path through the city of Pontiac, injuring four people last night, as powerful storms moved across the state. The tornado was one of at least six tornadoes the weather service says touched down in northern and central Illinois.
The weather service says the tornado near Pontiac rated an EF-2 with estimated top wind speeds of 115 to 125 mph. Its maximum width was about four football fields wide. That tornado injured four people.
The Pontiac tornado collapsed the brick and wood wall of a building southwest of the city and damaged a gas station.
Survey crews also have identified three EF-1 tornadoes, with maximum winds up to 110 mph, that struck Cissna Park, Ottawa and West Brooklyn. No injuries resulted from those storms, but they downed trees, damaged buildings and flattened corn stalks.
