Suspected tornadoes damage homes and knock down trees, power lines in Illinois, Indiana

A large tornado south of Chicago downed trees and power lines Tuesday and overwhelmed the 911 center with emergency calls, according to officials, while a second suspected tornado also caused significant damage in northwest Indiana. 

The tornado struck down in the Kankakee County area, about 47.5 miles south of Chicago, and caused major damage on the south side of Kankakee City, according to Trooper Jayme Bufford, a spokesperson for Illinois State Police. It traveled northeast into Aroma Park, where it caused more damage, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office. No injuries have been reported.

CBS News Chicago meteorologist Kylee Miller, reporting from Kankakee County, said she could see significant damage. 

In a video shared on social media, the twister is seen ripping across a field of farmland near an airport while vehicles lined the road.

Severe storms were threatening to bring intense tornadoes, damaging winds and very large hail from the southern Plains to the southern Great Lakes, according to the National Weather Service. States from Texas to Michigan were under tornado watches.

More than 2 million Americans were at a moderate risk of severe weather in Illinois and Indiana. Nearly 22 million were at a slightly lesser risk in a zone that includes Chicago, Fort Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Just over the Indiana state line in Newton County, another apparent tornado hit several houses in Lake Village and caused injuries, according to Indiana State Police Cpl. Eric Rot.

He was not able to provide the number of people injured or their condition.

“We’re still in emergency response mode,” he said.

In a video on social media, Newton County officials confirmed multiple homes were destroyed and there was “a lot of damage,” Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran said.

“Lake Village took a direct hit, please stay away from the area,” said Rob Churchill, Lake Township Fire chief.

This comes just days after at least six people were killed last week in Michigan and Oklahoma after powerful storms produced at least three tornadoes.