Multiple funnel clouds and tornadoes moved across the Midwest and Great Lakes on Friday, tearing through neighborhoods, knocking out utilities and leaving millions at risk for additional severe weather into the weekend.
What happened
– Southeast Rochester, Minnesota: An EF2 tornado with peak winds near 125 mph struck a residential area. Video shot by resident Troy Holmberg shows the twister passing through homes; more than a dozen houses were damaged or destroyed. Officials reported no serious injuries, but many households face power outages and water shortages because private wells need electricity to run.
– Illinois: A large tornado caused extensive damage and power loss in and around the village of Lena.
– Wider effects: Storms from the Plains into the Great Lakes generated roughly 800 damaging-storm reports, including dozens of confirmed tornadoes and episodes of dangerous flooding. Recovery crews and neighbors began clearing debris and assessing damage; local officials warned rebuilding could be lengthy.
Voices on the ground
Reporters described scenes of “organized chaos” as families and recovery teams sorted through wreckage. Residents stressed strong community support but said restoring homes and utilities will take time.
The forecast and hazards (meteorologist Andrew Kozak)
– Ongoing threat: Millions remain under severe-weather risk into Saturday, with a tornado threat stretching from parts of Tennessee north into New York. Additional severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes are expected as the weather system moves east.
– Fire and smoke concerns: Large areas of the Southeast are unusually dry for this time of year, producing drought conditions and raised wildfire risk in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Fire-weather alerts were issued for parts of the Southeast and Midwest for Sunday. Dry soils, low humidity and gusty winds increase the danger.
– Regional outlook: The Northeast should see showers overnight into Sunday with cooler air arriving. The Southeast looks mostly dry but fire-prone. The Midwest faces a mix of severe storms and elevated fire risk where humidity remains low.
– Practical impacts: Wind and flooding damage, power outages and interrupted electric well pumps can cut household water supplies. Officials urged preparedness, attention to local warnings and plans for outages.
Key takeaways
– A fast-moving severe-weather outbreak produced damaging tornadoes and floods across the Midwest and Great Lakes on Friday, prompting cleanup and long-term rebuilding in affected communities.
– The tornado and damaging-wind threat continues into Saturday across a broad corridor from the Tennessee Valley into the Northeast.
– Drought in the Southeast has heightened wildfire potential; fire-weather alerts and smoke impacts are possible through the weekend.
– Stay tuned to local emergency services and official weather sources, follow tornado and severe-weather warnings, and be ready for power or water interruptions.
Reported by Jonah Kaplan in Rochester, Minnesota; forecast and hazard details from meteorologist Andrew Kozak; coverage on CBS News with Jericka Duncan.