Thousands of Illinois residents were displaced due to the horrific aftermath of tornadoes which touched down in the U.S. Midwest. Between 250 and 500 buildings were damaged or destroyed and about 120 people were injured in Washington, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said
Monday during a news conference.
The ill-tempered weather even forced officials at Chicago's Soldier Field to evacuate the stands and delay the Chicago Bears game.
"The whole neighborhood's gone. The wall of my fireplace is all that is left of my house," said Michael Perdun, speaking by cellphone from Washington, where he said his neighborhood was wiped out in a matter of seconds, according to media
reports.
The Chicago Tribune
writes: "The National Weather Service confirmed preliminary EF-4 tornado damage in Washington County in southern Illinois, with winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour."
The
report goes on to say: "The storm knocked down power lines across the Midwest, and power companies reported that some 800,000 homes and businesses were without electricity on Monday morning. Michigan had the largest number of outages, with Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, West Virginia and Pennsylvania also feeling the storm's aftermath."
Below are five heartbreaking photos of the storm's aftermath in Washington, Illinois, courtesy of Reuters (
Digital Journal Staff have permission to use select photos from Reuters this month):
U.S. flag is seen among the debris and destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
A boy picks through belongings in the destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
Pat Nelson looks out over the debris and destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
People are seen in a house going through belongings in the destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
People walk past the smashed out windows of a business destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois, November 18, 2013
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
A boy picks through belongings in the destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois, November 18, 2013
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
Debris caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois, November 18, 2013
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
A police officer escorts a boy out of the area as he carries belongings through the destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois, November 18, 2013
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
A car is seen inside a destroyed business window front among the destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois, November 18, 2013
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
A U.S. flag is seen among the debris and destruction caused by a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois, November 18, 2013
With permission by Reuters / Jim Young
Extensive damage is pictured in the aftermath of a tornado that touched down in Washington, Illinois on November 17, 2013
Photo courtesy of Anthony Khoury
