Tornado in Plainfield and Bolingbrook April 26, 2007

Tornado in Plainfield and Bolingbrook April 26

A small tornado touched down at Route 126 and Eastern Avenue in Plainfield at 258 pm CDT and continued for 3.2 miles to near Patrick Henry Parkway and Essington Road in Bolingbrook around 309 pm. The tornado path width was only about 5 yards wide. The tornado was rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds estimated at 65 to near 80 mph.

The first damage was at a nursing home just northeast of downtown Plainfield. An SUV in the parking lot was flipped on its side and a couple other vehicles were jostled. There was roof damage to the nursing home where shingles and a couple small sections of roofing were torn off.

The funnel then passed over an older neighborhood with mature trees and ranch homes. There was no visible damage in this area. The large trees may have sheltered the neighborhood. The funnel then moved over an area of lakes with very few homes. There was a report of a boat damaged near 135th Street.

The next signs of damage were in a subdivision just southwest of the corner of Essington Road and 127th Street. This is a new subdivision with large two story homes and only small trees. These homes were more exposed. Here there was minor damage to several homes. Most of the damage was to shingles and playground equipment. The tornado continued into another subdivision north of 127th where trampolines and lawn furniture were blown around by the twister. The flying debris damaged siding on a few homes. The tornado damage ended in a subdivision under construction on the east side of Essington Road where a construction trailer was damaged. The funnel dissipated over Bolingbrook Golf Club.