Lake Village Indiana Tornado Kills Elderly Couple as EF-3 Kankakee Tornado Carves 36 Miles of Destruction

An EF-3 tornado tore a 36-mile scar from Kankakee, Illinois to Lake Village, Indiana on Tuesday evening, killing an elderly couple in their Newton County home and leaving behind what officials called total devastation. The storm was the most powerful in a multi-tornado outbreak that hit the Chicago region and northwest Indiana — and it may have set an Illinois hail record in the process.

The victims have been identified as Arlene and Edward Kozlowski, both in their 80s, confirmed by the Newton County Coroner's Office.

What the Kankakee Tornado Did — and Where It Went

The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado carried estimated peak winds of 150 mph and traversed 36.6 miles on the ground over one hour and 21 minutes, starting in Kankakee County, Illinois and ending in Jasper County, Indiana.

One tornado lasted nearly 90 minutes, starting at 6:18 PM ET and ending around 7:39 PM, tracking nearly 40 miles from near Aroma Park and ending near De Motte, Indiana. The NWS confirmed it as an EF-3. A second tornado spawned at 7:43 PM and tracked 10.3 miles across northern Jasper County before lifting near Dunns Bridge.

The EF-3 that touched down in Kankakee County downed trees and power lines and overwhelmed the 911 center with emergency calls. Kankakee City's south side took major structural damage. Trooper Jayme Bufford, spokesperson for Illinois State Police, confirmed the extent of damage there.

Lake Village Indiana Tornado: "It Hit Us Hard"

Lake Village is a small Newton County community in northwest Indiana, roughly 60 miles south of Chicago. Tuesday's tornado hit it directly.

First responders rescued two employees trapped inside a destroyed Family Dollar store — both walked out uninjured. The Kozlowskis were not as fortunate. Their home was destroyed. Indiana State Police located 10 people with injuries, with additional victims transporting themselves directly to local hospitals.

Jennifer Telford, 49, who sheltered in her Lake Village basement, told the Associated Press that not all warning sirens sounded — "The siren in town didn't go off," she said. "The sirens outside town did."

Newton County emergency officials confirmed the search that began Tuesday night. The death toll of two has not changed as of Thursday morning.

Record Hail in Kankakee Illinois — A Possible State Record

The same supercell responsible for the tornado family also produced hail ranging from 3 to locally 5 inches in diameter. A hailstone measuring 6.0 inches in diameter was recorded in Kankakee, Illinois — a figure the NWS says may constitute a new Illinois state record. The previous record was a 4.75-inch stone that fell in Minooka in June 2015. The record remains unofficial pending verification.

A second supercell hit the southern Chicago suburbs separately, dropping hail up to 4.8 inches in diameter across Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Downers Grove, and Darien.

Survivor Accounts From Aroma Park and Wheatfield Indiana

Army veteran Steve Travis, on Old 41 Road near the Kankakee tornado track, described sheltering in his closet as his roof came off. "It's louder than a freight train. It's like a building falling down, the vibrations," Travis said. "That's the longest 20 seconds I ever lived in my life."

In Kankakee, resident Carlin Arseneau stepped outside after the storm. "We saw our neighbor's garage gone, and the next neighbor's house gone, both of our cars, my living room, our shed — gone," Arseneau said.

Newton County emergency director Churchill credited days of advance warnings from the National Weather Service and Chicago-area meteorologists with keeping the death toll lower than it might have been. "I think if it wasn't for that, I really truly think our injuries and fatalities would be considerably higher," Churchill said.

Tornado Warning vs. Watch — and What Comes Next

A tornado warning means a tornado has been detected by radar or spotted — take shelter immediately. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop — stay alert and be ready to move.

NWS survey crews are still in the field completing post-event analysis, with additional tornado track ratings expected over the coming weeks. The Kozlowski autopsies are scheduled for Friday.