Six Dead in Midwest Tornadoes

Six people were killed when as many as 80 twisters ripped through the Midwest on Sunday, leaving homes demolished and thousands without power. Five people, including an elderly brother and sister, were killed in southern Illinois, and another was killed further north in Washington, Illinois. “Weather doesn’t get more extreme than this in Illinois very often,” said Matt Friedlein, a National Weather Service meteorologist. In Chicago, strong winds tore through the city’s streets and caused tens of thousands to be evacuated from Soldier Field ahead of the Chicago Bears game. Friedlein said the severe weather was caused by winter winds coming in above summer moisture levels. “While unusual, when that happens, you’re going to have very strong storms that move very quickly,” Friedlein said.