Storm survey team says Bartlett hit by EF1 tornado

A National Weather Service storm survey team said Friday that preliminary evidence shows Bartlett was struck by an EF1 tornado Thursday.

Teams were also in downstate LaSalle and Livingston counties as well as various parts of Northwest Indiana Friday.

The Bartlett tornado caused significant damage to a gas station and several businesses at a strip mall near Route 59 and Stearns Road in Bartlett when rounds of storms rolled through the region late Thursday, according to Bartlett officials.

Several homes in the village also sustained significant damage from the storms as well as downed trees and power lines.

Bartlett Mayor Dan Gunsteen posted on social media at about 2 a.m. that there were no reported injuries in the wake of the storms and praised emergency workers and public works staff for their efforts.

Most damage in Bartlett was reported at about 8 p.m. Thursday, according to Bartlett Fire Protection District Chief Brian Becker. Calls for service included multiple crashes, downed power lines, gas leaks, fire alarm activations and reports of structural damage.

EF1 tornadoes are categorized as having wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph that cause moderate damage to roofs and can overturn mobile homes.

Becker said there were structural collapses as a result of the storm and confirmed no injuries.

Multiple agencies from neighboring towns assisted Bartlett, Becker added.

“The coordinated response demonstrated the strength of our regional partnerships and the effectiveness of the mutual aid system,” he said. “The support provided by our neighboring agencies allowed us to address storm-related emergencies while maintaining emergency service coverage for the residents and businesses of Bartlett.”

ComEd reported about 121,000 people without power by 3 p.m. Friday. Outages were largely contained to Will County and southern Cook County.

Weather service officials said they are sending storm survey teams to areas where they know they will likely find evidence of tornado damage first, such as Bartlett, downstate Streator and Merrillville, Indiana. In the coming days, they will send teams to other areas that might have experienced tornado damage as well.

The Indiana tornado was deemed an EF3, following early morning investigations. A tornado that touched down near downstate Dwight was classified as an EF1.