A 65-year-old Illinois man was rescued from the wreckage of his home after powerful tornadoes swept through parts of the Midwest, leaving at least one person dead, damaging hundreds of homes and prompting ongoing severe weather warnings across the region.
Gary Rymek was pulled from debris Friday after a tornado destroyed his home in Streator, Illinois, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago. Video from the scene showed rescuers working to free him as he remained trapped beneath rubble.
“I think I’ve got a broken leg,” Rymek could be heard saying while awaiting assistance.
Rymek and his wife, Roxann, survived the storm but suffered injuries. Roxann Rymek was hurt while attempting to help her husband following the collapse of their home.
Scott Lasker, a freelance photographer who was in the area during the storm, assisted the couple before emergency responders arrived.
“I was able to get some of the debris off of him to make him more comfortable until police and additional responders arrived,” Lasker said.
Rymek later said he was grateful to have survived the ordeal.
“The door flew out of my hand, and then everything just started falling apart,” he said. “We thought we weren’t going to make it.”
According to family members, the couple lost their home, vehicles, medications and medical equipment in the storm. Rymek is expected to undergo surgery for a broken ankle sustained during the tornado.
The storms were part of a severe weather outbreak that swept across portions of Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. The National Weather Service confirmed at least four tornadoes, including two EF-3 tornadoes in Streator, Illinois, and Kouts, Indiana. Officials said the strongest tornadoes produced winds reaching approximately 165 mph.
More than 80,000 customers remained without power Saturday across portions of northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. Authorities also reported extensive structural damage, with hundreds of homes affected by high winds and tornado activity.
In Iowa, a 54-year-old man died after a tree fell during severe storms at a homeless encampment in Des Moines. Police said he was found critically injured and later died at the scene.
Meteorologists warned that additional severe weather remains possible across parts of the Midwest through the weekend, with forecasts calling for thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and the potential for additional tornadoes, per the Daily Mail.
At the same time, a separate weather system has brought dangerous heat and humidity to parts of the East Coast. Forecasters warned that temperatures combined with high humidity could make conditions feel as hot as 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher across portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
The storms also disrupted transportation throughout the region. More than 1,000 flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport were delayed or canceled as severe weather moved through the area.
