Video captured a frightening look at what it was like as a violent storm tore through an Illinois town outside of Rockford.
Dramatic footage from a live stream camera in the town of Lena, Illinois, showed a severe storm inching into the town just over 40 miles west of Rockford. Intense winds are seen whipping the region as debris from buildings flies around.
Shortly after the storm, the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office urged people to avoid the town of Lena entirely.
“There is no way to get into town due to trees and wires down. Emergency Services are assisting people per Sheriff Stovall,” the sheriff’s office wrote in an alert on social media.
The NBC affiliate station in Rockford, WREX, reported the village was shut down and no traffic was allowed in or out of Lena until further notice.
It was not immediately clear if a tornado hit the region or the magnitude of the storm.
Also in the Rockford area, the National Weather Service reported a tornado appeared to have touched down in Rockton around the same time.
Northern Illinois was under an enhanced risk for severe storms Friday afternoon and evening. A tornado watch was issued for the Chicago area through much of the evening.
