At least 2 dead as tornadoes rake Midwest

At least 2 dead as tornadoes rake Midwest

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At least two people were killed Tuesday evening as strong storms revved up across the Midwest.

Compact but strong storms known as supercells raked parts of the central U.S., causing damage from Arkansas to Iowa and Illinois. Wind-whipped wildfires destroyed homes in Texas.

Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Patti Thompson said one person was killed in Ottawa by an uprooted tree when a tornado hit the small town southwest of Chicago. The person was not identified and it hadn't been determined how many people were injured by the storm.

The storm damaged buildings in Ottawa, including the LaSalle County Nursing Home.

Photos on social media showed extensive damage to the facility, but the nursing home posted on its Facebook page that everyone was safe. "We got hit hard but everyone including residents and staff are safe and accounted for. Your prayers are greatly appreciated," the post read.

Patients at the nursing home were evacuated to a nearby school, the Associated Press reported.

Downed trees, broken windows, power outages and gas leaks were reported across Ottawa, according to WLS-TV. Emergency crews were sent to Naplate, a small village in LaSalle County, where there were fears people became trapped under debris when structures were damaged, AP said.

"It sounded like a train going through the house. It sounded like I couldn't hear anything. I was scared," Krystall O'Neil told WLS. "I was kind of freaking out, really, it was so loud. I could heard things snapping."  O'Neil said she was leaving work when tornado sirens cut through the air and she quickly took refuge in the basement of her cousin's home.