The storm also left over 54,000 people in the area without power.

Learn how to stay safe during a tornado, and how to improve your home’s ability to withstand tornadoes. Amber Phillips stands outside the family's safe room, located on their property in Moss, Miss., following a tornado, Monday, April 13, 2020.

“I was in there about 20 seconds when it hit,” Andrew Phillips told the Associated Press. Tornadoes are violent: they can completely destroy well-made structures, uproot trees and hurl objects through the air like deadly missiles. Strengthen existing garage doors to improve the wind resistance, particularly double-wide garage doors.

Don’t just repair your home, build in tornado-resistant features to help protect against future damage. There have been no deaths reported in Illinois.

Although severe tornadoes are most common in the Plains States, they can happen anywhere. Identify a safe place in your home where household members and pets will gather during a tornado: a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean said there were reports of close to 80 tornadoes linked to the violent weather. Digital access or digital and print delivery. Tate Reeves addresses violent storms, tornadoes that swept through Mississippi and other southern states. Continue listening to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and instructions. Four other tornadoes confirmed in Park Forest, Kentland, Kirkland and Grant Park were classified as EF-0. Tornadoes in Mississippi and Louisiana have caused "catastrophic" damage and at least seven deaths after touching down Sunday, emergency officials say. As winds apply pressure to the walls, the roof can be lifted off, and the rest of the house can easily follow. Watch animals closely and keep them under your direct control. Travis Fedschun is a reporter for FoxNews.com. About 3,000 homes and businesses in Rockford remained without electricity Thursday afternoon, ComEd external affairs manager George Gaulrapp said. "This started way out in northeastern Nebraska as a single thunderstorm and numerous additional thunderstorms continued to develop as it tracked eastward," National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Carlaw said. As of 9 a.m. on Saturday, Xcel Energy crews were working to restore power for … Pay attention to how you and your loved ones are experiencing and handling stress. The damage is just so widespread and there are so many trees and limbs down that caused havoc everywhere.". Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean reports. Aplicación de Emergencias - ahora disponible en español también! ", MISSISSIPPI DEPUTY, WIFE AMONG TORNADO VICTIMS, OFFICER 'LEFT THIS WORLD A HERO' SHIELDING WIFE FROM STORM: DEPARTMENT. The family was watching an online Easter service Sunday morning when Phillips, a volunteer firefighter, then started tracking the weather online and on a fire radio. In a high-rise building, pick a hallway in the center of the building. Check at your workplace and your children's schools and day care centers to learn about their tornado emergency plans. Learn what to do to keep your loved ones safe. pic.twitter.com/yp34Xs7It5. Move to an underground shelter, basement or safe room. While the family of four survived the storm, others in Mississippi were not as fortunate.

A tornado WATCH means a tornado is possible. All four survived the tornado without a scratch. ROCKFORD — After four days of investigating a rare and powerful derecho storm that caused widespread damage across the Midwest, meteorologists have confirmed it spawned 15 tornadoes in Illinois. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Follow him on Twitter @travfed, (Facebook/Lawrence County Sheriff's Office), Tornado reports stretch from Texas to Carolinas after two days of deadly storms, Mississippi governor on deadly tornado strike amid coronavirus outbreak, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said, San Francisco shooting in Union Square tourist area leaves at least 1 wounded, Kentucky AG Cameron responds to 'repugnant' personal attacks over Breonna Taylor case, Herschel Walker slams push for slavery reparations, accuses Democrats of 'pandering for a vote'. The storm, known as a derecho, is long-lived straight-line windstorm that can rival a tornado’s destructive power.

A tornado WARNING means a tornado is already occurring or will occur soon.

Discussing ahead of time helps reduce fear, especially for younger children. Put your head down below the windows, covering your head with your hands and a blanket. If you have access to a sturdy shelter or a vehicle, go there immediately, using your seat belt if driving. Watch for tornado danger signs: dark, often greenish clouds – a phenomenon caused by hail; wall cloud – an isolated lowering of the base of a thunderstorm; cloud of debris. This one obviously gathered a lot of media attention because of the widespread area and the high-end damage that it did produce.".

Choose the plan that’s right for you. tornadoes that touched down during the 8/10/2020 derecho event. In a two-day period, storms stretched from Texas to Mississippi, and then farther east to the Georgia coast and northward to Virginia.

That tornado was an EF-1 and lasted a while, until 6:43 a.m. (Fox News). Tate Reeves said the storms were “as bad or worse than anything we’ve seen in a decade.”, “We are used to tornadoes in Mississippi,” he said. That means: Prepare a pet emergency kit for your companion animals. The Associated Press contributed to this report. If none is available, a small, windowless interior room or hallway on the lowest level of a sturdy building is the safest alternative. Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas lines and report them to the utility company immediately. A family in Mississippi lost everything after a tornado obliterated their rural home on Easter Sunday, but they are alive because of a home safe-room that doubles as a closet. Ensure that every member of your family carries a Safe and Well wallet card. (1/2) Here's a final map of all 15 (!)

Rockford Register Star ~ 99 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61104 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Some homes in the so-called "Tornado Alley" are equipped with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-approved “safe rooms,” which, according to the organization, is a “hardened structure specifically designed to meet FEMA criteria and provide life-safety protection in extreme wind, including tornadoes and hurricanes.”, HOW STRONG CAN TORNADOES GET? More than 30 people were killed in a two-day period as severe storms tore across the South, leaving more than 1 million homes without power. This is a radar-indicated tornado, and the storm also may contain ping-pong ball size hail. Kaplan, and J.F. Remember to buckle your seat belt. ", Mississippi Gov. Storm reports in a two day period after a spate of severe weather across the South. Power outages can be reported by calling 800-366-7661. Seek shelter in a basement, shelter or sturdy building.

Checklists Available in Multiple Languages. If you're in the communities of ADAMS, ELKTON, TAOPI, take cover now.

Every building has different safe places. Reports from the NWS and storm chasers in Marion County noted that trees were shredded and uprooted, power poles were snapped and power lines were on the ground. Legal Statement. ELLICOTT, Colo. — Next Step Horse Rescue just east of Colorado Springs is recovering after a storm called a microburst brought strong winds and rain, damaging several parts of their stables. Phillips told the AP he saw the funnel cloud outside, and then grabbed pillows from his bedroom before running back to shield his family. In a mobile home, choose a safe place in a nearby sturdy building. Derechos are more common in the Midwest than in other parts of the country, the National Weather Service said. Masonry chimneys that extend more than six feet above the roof or have a width of 40 inches or more should have continuous vertical reinforcing steel placed in the corners to provide greater resistance to wind loads. The home was obliterated by the storm, with the safe room the only part left standing in photos he shared to Facebook. In neighboring Iowa, a second death from the storm was confirmed Thursday. Monday’s powerful storms included straight-line winds of up to 100 mph and produced two tornadoes in Rockford. "We had one reported tornado in Mississippi that tracked over 100 miles, so this was one for the record books in terms of how many tornadoes we had," Dean said on "Fox & Friends. Nine other tornadoes in Marengo, Spring Grove, Northwest Elburn, Wheaton, Lombard, Ottawa, Yorkville, Oak Forest and Rogers Park on Chicago’s far north side, were rated EF-1. Hatchett, T.J. Brown, M.L. ©2020 FOX News Network, LLC.

Phillips told the AP that he was going to let insurance handle the damage and "trust in the good Lord.".

An additional 1,872 ComEd customers in Winnebago County outside of Rockford were also without power Thursday. Bring your companion animals indoors and maintain direct control of them. He told the AP the safe room, built from concrete blocks, doubles as a closet and was one of the reasons he bought the home. A derecho that packed winds up to 100 mph moved from central Illinois east to Virginia on June 22-23, 2016. Talk about tornadoes with your family so that everyone knows where to go if a tornado warning is issued. Check for injuries. Consider installing permanent shutters to cover windows. A second tornado, an EF-1 with peak winds of 100 mph tore through a 9.2-mile stretch from east Rockford to Caledonia. Strong winds frequently break weak limbs and hurl them at great speed, causing damage or injury when they hit. ROCKFORD — After four days of investigating a rare and powerful derecho storm that caused widespread damage across the Midwest, meteorologists have confirmed it spawned 15 tornadoes in Illinois. The second tornado formed in St. Mary’s County around 6:30 a.m. one mile west of Piney Point with a peak wind of 100 miles per hour.

Remove any debris or loose items in your yard. A family in Mississippi lost everything after a tornado obliterated their rural home on Easter Sunday, but they are alive because of a home safe-room that doubles as a closet.

Scattered outages were reported Thursday in Boone and Ogle counties, "We have nearly 100 crews here and they’re working 16-hour shifts," Gaulrapp said. - Register yourself as safe on the Safe and Well website. Sign up here. You may not have enough time to go to the lowest floor. "The more I look at what is left of our house, it makes me think of the tomb Jesus Christ was in. Nauslar, N.J., B.J. "So since our tomb is empty we have risen and will return soon," he added. Listen to local area radio, NOAA radio or TV stations for the latest information and updates. Strengthen garage doors. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A watch can cover parts of a state or several states. If you do nothing else: 1. If strong winds and flying debris occurs while driving, pull over and park, keeping your seat belt on and engine running. /content/redcross/en/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/tornado. © Gannett Co., Inc. 2020. Gov. Make sure you have access to NOAA radio broadcasts, either through streaming an. Powerful wind storm included two twisters in Rockford. Let friends and family know you’re safe. As the tornado approached his home in Moss, he hurried the family into the room. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "This is going to be a trying time for our friends in the South," Dean said Tuesday. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Secure your chimney. Meanwhile, crews from Commonwealth Edison continue their efforts to restore power to the region.