Coroner IDs Couple Killed As Tornadoes Hit IL, Northwest Indiana

At least four tornadoes have been confirmed in Tuesday's severe weather, according to the National Weather Service. Multiple outlets are reporting that at least two people were killed in Lake Village, Indiana, as storms and a suspected tornado hit the area.

"One supercell was responsible for a family of tornadoes (at least 4) across Livingston and Kankakee counties in Illinois, and Newton, Jasper, and Starke counties in northwestern Indiana," the weather service shared.

Survey crews with NWS will look at damage on Wednesday and confirm the strength of tornadoes and the total number.

READ: At Least 1 Tornado Strikes Kankakee Area, Tennis Ball-Size Hail West Of Chicago

The city of Kankakee reported as of around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday that there were only minor injuries to its residents and all fires were under control. Kankakee County and city officials activated an emergency operations center Tuesday night and filed an emergency declaration with the state.

"Miraculously, we have no reports of loss of life," Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

At the same news conference, City of Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis said seven fires that occurred as a result of the storms were extinguished quickly.

Kankakee Community College was serving as a shelter for those who were displaced, offering a place to stay, meals and charging stations, the Red Cross said. Pets in kennels are welcome.

One confirmed tornado touched down south of Kankakee near the Kankakee Fairgrounds before crossing the Kankakee River and moving into Aroma Park, according to the Kankakee County Sheriff's Office.

In addition to tornadoes, damaging hail was also reported. A hailstone with a diameter of 6 inches was measured in Kankakee, the weather service said.

The Kankakee County Emergency Management Agency shared a video showing some of the early damage assessments Wednesday, showing destroyed buildings, downed trees and debris left behind by the tornado.

This hailstone would be considered for a new Illinois state record. According to the weather service, the previous record is a hailstone measuring 4.75 inches in diameter that fell in Minooka in 2015.

There were also reports of large hail with a supercell that moved across the south and west Chicago suburbs, according to the weather service. That storm spawned a large hailstone measuring 4.8 inches in diameter in Darien.

2 Killed In Indiana

In Indiana, Newton County Sheriff Shannon Cothran and Lake Township Volunteer Fire Chief Rob Churchill posted videos on social media, warning residents to avoid the area and stressing the severity of the damage.

"We have multiple homes destroyed," Churchill said, adding that Lake Village "took a direct hit."

The two people killed in Lake Village, Indiana, were described as an elderly couple, the Times of Northwest Indiana reported. The Newton County Coroner's office identified them as Edward Kozlowski, 89, and Arlene Kozlowski, 84.

Several other people were "very injured," Newton County authorities said Wednesday, with Churchill describing "total devastation"and people were trapped in collapsed homes, Fox 32 reported.

Authorities believe the tornadoes that hit northwest Indiana came from the same supercell that tracked from Pontiac, Illinois, through Kankakee County before moving into northwest Indiana, the report said.