Thursday Marks 24th Anniversary of 1990 Tornado

Tuesday, Aug. 28, 1990. It’s been a long time, but if you’re old enough, it’s a day that’s etched in your memory.

At about 3:30 in the afternoon on a hot, late-summer day, an F-5 tornado ripped through Plainfield and Crest Hill, killing 29 people, injuring 350 and leveling homes, schools and businesses.

As Will County marks 24 years since that day, we’d like to hear readers’ recollections — where were you that day? And what do you remember? You can share your memories in the comments, and check out what readers had to say last year.

View videos of the destruction left by the tornado on Plainfield native Roy Taylor’s website. (Note: Click on the “YouTube” logo to view a larger version of the videos)

Milestone anniversary coming up

Next year will mark a quarter-century since the devastating tornado, which left its mark on the community and, in some ways, put Plainfield on the map.

The Plainfield Historical Society is partnering with the Joliet-Area Historical Museum to create a 25th anniversary display. The organizations are seeking items — from news clippings to photos and more — from that fateful day.

The historical society put out the following call on Facebook:

“Do you have news clips or photos that you might consider loaning to us for a display? Do you have a personal account of what you experienced that day? Are you willing to write your experience to be added to a journal we will create? Are you willing to come to the Main Street Museum so that we might record your oral account of that afternoon? Do you have any artifacts that you might loan to us for the display?

“We can scan photos and articles while you wait for our display. You can take the originals with you. Or we welcome ’on loan’ or donated items also. Please respond by calling Sue at 815-436-4073.”

Also read:

• Plainfield Tornado Anniversary: Where Were You That Day?
• Remembering the ‘Fun-Loving’ Son Struck Down by Tornado
• ‘I‘ve Never Seen Anything Like It’
• Never-Publicly Shown Video Shows Plainfield Tornado Forming in DeKalb