Interstate 55 reopens near Channahon after tornado damage

ComEd crews worked spent the days following the tornado clearing debris and reinstalling the lines while Illinois Department of Transportation crews and other authorities removed a number of vehicles that were abandoned following the storms. Road inspections were also required, IDOT officials said.

The tornado that caused the I-55 closure was deemed an EF-2 by a National Weather Service survey team. Winds topped out at 120 mph and the twister was 200 yards wide at times. It spanned nearly 30 miles, starting in Channahon and ending near Matteson. It was the strongest tornado of the wether event.

Survey teams have confirmed at least 20 tornadoes touched down throughout the Chicago area Monday night. Those twisters were preceded by a series of less damaging tornadoes that rolled through the region Sunday night.

Less than 10,000 ComEd customers remain without power, according to the company’s website.