Rescue crews worked through the night and into Friday morning in Fairdale, Illinois, sifting through the rubble of the town devastated by a tornado, but authorities say a couple of people are still unaccounted for.
Kirkland Fire Department Chief Chad Connell said in a Friday morning press conference that the missing may have ventured away from their homes and have yet to contact friends or family members, but crews will continue search and recovery operations until all citizens are located. Connell did not say specifically how many people are missing, and did not identify those who haven't been found.
"The crews right now are combing the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary," he said.
(MORE: State-by-State Updates on the Severe Weather Outbreak)
A 67-year-old woman was killed and at least seven were hospitalized after at least one tornado ripped through northern Illinois Thursday evening at 7:15, officials said.
Every home in the community of 200 about 20 miles southeast of Rockford was affected by the storm, authorities said.
"It was big. I've never seen anything like it in my life," Kirkland Community Fire District Chief Chad Connell said of the tornado, according to The Associated Press. Connell watched the tornado move across the area from his front porch.
Before/after RT @ChrisJacksonSC: Fairdale, Illinois before and after today's tragic tornado.
"This town is absolutely devastated," Knott said.
The town's power was out early Friday, and everyone had been evacuated. A shelter was set up at a nearby high school. The Red Cross and Salvation Army were assisting.
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Rescue crews worked quickly, going house to house to look for survivors. That's when they discovered the body of Geradine M. Schultz, 67, in the rubble of her home.
"The west side of Fairdale was pretty well destroyed," DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott told WLS-TV.
The tornado that hit Fairdale was one of at least two supercell-produced tornadoes that developed, according to weather.com senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen.
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A second tornado developed in Cherry Valley at 6:40 p.m. central time. It's important to remember that all reported tornadoes are unconfirmed until a survey crew from the National Weather Service views the damaged areas and finds the debris was created by a tornado.
However, in the case of the twister that left widespread, severe damage in Fairdale, Rochelle and Kirkland, experts believe it's a foregone conclusion that it will be confirmed as a tornado on Friday. Severe weather expert Dr. Greg Forbes estimated the tornado at a half-mile wide.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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