STORM AFTERMATH: I-57 closed for several hours to repair storm damage

Jim Rossow, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·4 min read

Apr. 1—Email photos/updates/news tips to news@news-gazette.com or call 217-393-8261

A series of violent storms ripped through East Central Illinois on Friday night, causing significant damage in parts of Champaign County. We'll have updates throughout the day:

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Interstate 57 between Paxton and Rantoul will be closed starting at 6 p.m. today, so that crews can repair damage from Friday's storm, the Illinois State Police said.

Southbound traffic will be detoured at Paxton to U.S. 45, south to Rantoul, then diverted back onto I-57. Northbound traffic will be detoured at Rantoul to U.S. 45 to Paxton, then back onto I-57. This detour is expected to last three hours, state police said.

They ask drivers to avoid the area if possible and take an alternate route.

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The National Weather Service in Lincoln said Friday's tornado near Rantoul was rated EF-1 with winds that topped out at 110 mph.

Announcing its preliminary survey results for three tornadoes that touched down in central Illinois, NWS said the Champaign County twister started in Dewey and ended in Ludlow, covering 11.2 miles from 7:39 p.m. to 7:48 p.m.

Here are preliminary survey results for three tornadoes that occurred across central Illinois yesterday. Additional surveys are ongoing, and we will continue to provide updates as available. (Note: The red dots with the Rantoul tornado are for damage assigned EF-Unknown). #ILwx pic.twitter.com/FjXbxLOzqq

— NWS Lincoln IL (@NWSLincolnIL) April 1, 2023

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The Illinois Emergency Management Agency said Friday's storms led to four fatalities statewide: three in Robinson from a residential structural collapse, and another in Belvidere in the Apollo Theatre Roof collapse.

"We continue to assess other damages in many counties across Illinois," IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau said.

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Cows in the road

Friday night's storm damaged a farm south of Rankin, toppling fencing and sending cows onto a rural road.

Kyle Newnum, a volunteer with the Bluegrass Fire Protection District in Potomac, was on a country road 2 miles south of Rankin when he came upon the scene around 10 p.m.

"At first I was confused what was on the road," he said. "I was like 'What in the world?' "

Newnum phoned "a few buddies" for help corralling the cattle and contacting the owner of the farm from which they escaped. "The main thing is we didn't want (the cows) to make it to (Illinois) 49 and getting hit," Newnum said.

Champaign County Sheriff's Office personnel and the farm owner soon joined Newnum. "The farmer brought feed and used that" to lure the cows to safety, Newnum said.

He revisited the scene on Saturday morning to make sure it still was secured.

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John Dwyer, coordinator of the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency, said damage assessment would continue through the weekend.

"It could have been a lot worse," he said. "Thank God no one was killed in our area. It came hard, it came fast and it came at night."

The most significant damage took place alone U.S. 136 between Fisher and Dewey, high winds toppling sheds and damaging "two houses that we know of," Dwyer said.

"I'm thankful it wasn't as bad as it could have been. It wasn't like Gifford in 2013, but for those who did have damage, our thoughts and prayers go out to them."

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A slew of vehicles tipped over by high winds shut down Interstate 57 near Rantoul, snarling traffic for hours.

Southbound lanes re-opened around 11:30 p.m. Friday, northbound lanes at 2:20 a.m.

Rantoul Administrator Scott Eisenhauer said a bus carrying Amtrak passengers north — the first of three in a caravan — was flipped on its side. Personnel from Rantoul's fire and police departments tended to the scene and were joined by Illinois State Police.

Eisenhauer said the village deployed two of its buses to transport passengers from the scene to the Hardee's parking lot in Paxton. Andy Graham of the village's Parks and Recreation Department drove the first bus carrying 20 passengers, and Eisenhauer drove the second with eight more.

In Paxton, village human resources manager Debbie Sage supplied food and drinks to those waiting to be picked up.

The passengers "were exhausted but very grateful," Eisenhauer said. "They were relieved that they didn't have to stand out in the rain on the interstate."

Rantoul was spared the brunt of damage from a storm that veered north of the village. Tracking the storm early Friday evening, Eisenhauer said "we thought we were right down the middle of it but we were saved from a great deal of damage."

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The Dewey area in northern Champaign County was hit hard Friday night.

At Tarvin Trucking, 1096 County Road 3000 N, vehicles were stacked on top of each other and there was damage to a house on the premises.

At Illini FS Inc., 1009 County Rd 3000 N, buildings were damaged and debris scattered.

A slew of power poles and wires were down on the north side of U.S. 136.