The National Weather Service sent teams out to survey damage in Streator, Naperville, Bartlett and Northwest Indiana during the day Friday.
Tornadoes rated by NWS so far as of 7:30 p.m. Friday:
- Kouts, Indiana: Preliminary EF-3
- Streator, Illinois: Preliminary EF-3
- Merrillville, Indiana: Preliminary EF-2
- Dwight, Illinois area: Preliminary EF-1
- Bartlett, Illinois: Preliminary EF-1
- Wenona, Illinois: Preliminary EF-1
- St. John, Indiana: Preliminary EF-0
At least 7 tornadoes hit Chicago area, NWS says
The strong storms have knocked out power for people across the Chicago area. Early Friday morning, ComEd reported more than 148,683 customers were without power. In Northwest Indiana, NIPSCO said more than 61,952 customers were without power.
SEE ALSO: Track power outages in your area with the ABC7 Chicago Power Outage Tracker
Courthouses in Markham and Bridgeview were closed Friday due to power outages.
Crews respond to power outages, damage after Chicago-area storms
The town of Streator, Illinois said eleven homes were damaged, with some completely destroyed.
Four people were transported to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.
There were downed power lines, debris scattered all over, and it's been a difficult scene to take in for people living there as they now turn their focus to starting over.
Recovery begins after EF-3 tornado destorys homes in Streator
One neighborhood near North 12th Road was eerily quiet as homes were demolished and people had to leave everything behind as they get help from the Red Cross and their neighbors.
"We got a second chance some people don't," Alice Schultz, who survived the tornado, said.
Schultz lives right across street from the neighborhood that appears to have suffered the most damage.
Her home was damaged by a tornado in 2010 and this time around she sheltered in place with her family as their home came out okay, but the same can't be said for their neighbors.
"I told my kids I feel very blessed I watched some of the homes down here I just feel very blessed," Schultz said.
Streator residents focusing on cleaning up after tornado
One man was found in a pile of rubble at a home and a camera caught the moment first responders arrived to help.
"That's the two people I was worried about," Schultz said. "ComEd came up and I said you gotta check those people because I know there's only two of them there."
A husband and wife in their mid-60s are recovering after an EF-3 tornado destroyed their Streator home, trapping them in the debris and leaving both injured.
Dramatic video recorded during the storm shows part of the ordeal. In the footage, Gary Rymek can be heard saying, "I got her out," before adding, "But I can't get out."
The tornado bore down on the couple's home on 12th Street, forcing the couple to take shelter in a closet. Within moments, the structure began to fail.
"The door flew out of my hand, and then everything just started falling apart," Gary Rymek said.
Roxanne Rymek described the force of the collapse: "I felt through my back like I was being pushed really hard down to the floor, but what was happening is the roof fell on us."
The couple exchanged what they feared might be final words.
"All I remember is my wife telling me, you know, I love you, and I told her I love you, too," Gary said.
When the storm passed, both were trapped beneath the wreckage. A nail had punctured Gary's arm, and his ankle was crushed. He also feared another danger.
"The gas was coming out pretty bad, and I know just a little spark, it would have done it," he said.
Despite his injuries, Gary used his good arm to free his wife. Roxanne escaped the debris, but her husband remained stuck underneath the collapsed home.
Roxanne recalled the moment as she tried to help him. "There was so much debris on top of him. Part of it was the roof because I remember seeing our shingles there," she said, adding that she was unable to move the wreckage on her own.
Nearby, freelance journalist Scott Lasker was recording video when he heard Roxanne calling for help.
"And I ran over there immediately, and she said, 'Can you please help me? My husband is trapped underneath our house that collapsed,'" Lasker said.
Video captures the chaotic scene as Lasker approached and spoke with Gary, who told him, "I think I got a broken leg."
Lasker began helping to remove debris. "There were shelving units and doors, and it looks Iike they were crushing his leg, so I was able to get it off of half of his body to give him a little bit of comfort," he said.
First responders soon arrived and freed Gary from the debris.
Both Gary and Roxanne Rymek were taken to a hospital. Though their home was destroyed, they expressed gratitude for surviving.
"I'm just very thankful I'm alive, that we are," Gary said.
Roxanne suffered lacerations across her body, while Gary is expected to need surgery on his leg. The couple has also begun the process of determining where they will live next.
The Red Cross is set up at St. Paul's evangelical Lutheran church on Broadway for anyone who needs assistance.
Northwest Indiana hit hard by tornado damage
In Northwest Indiana, officials said more than 200 buildings were damaged in Merrilllville.
Town leaders are stepping up to help. They say anyone affected by the storm can seek temporary shelter with assistance from the Red Cross at the Lincoln Community Center, 2450 Lincoln St. in Highland, Indiana.
Residents in one of Merrillville's hardest-hit neighborhoods began cleaning up Friday after severe storms tore through the area, leaving widespread damage but no reports of serious injuries.
Along 58th Avenue and Massachusetts Street, neighbors expressed relief that no one was hurt as they assessed the destruction left behind.
The storms moved into the area around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, cutting a path through the south side of the town, which is located about 40 miles from Chicago. Officials said the storm left behind downed trees and power lines, debris and flooding.
By the next day, people along Massachusetts Street were already at work clearing debris. For some, the damage was devastating. Dr. Maria Williams, a homeowner, described the loss of the house where she raised her five children.
"Roof gone, water, fences, windows busted," Williams said.
Crews and residents could be seen using chainsaws and shovels as they worked to remove fallen trees and scattered debris.
At the Edgebrook Court apartments, work crews also cleared wreckage as residents recounted the frightening moments during the storm. Donna Hughes said she and a neighbor took shelter in the building's laundry room as powerful winds ripped off the roof.
"I was terrified because I've never been through anything like that. I heard the 'woo' , the shattering of the glass, the roof tearing up you could hear it all," Hughes said.
Aerial footage showed the extent of the damage in the Turkey Creek subdivision, where homes and streets were impacted. Despite the destruction, officials said there have been no reports of serious injuries.
Residents said the experience brought the community together, especially in a neighborhood with many older residents and people who live alone.
"we have a lot of elder people on the block and a lot people to live by themselves, but we came together as a community at the end of the night, and everybody was safe, but it definitely affected each one of us," said homeowner Diamond Harrison.
Recovery efforts are expected to take days, possibly weeks, as many residents remain without power. Merrillville police have increased their presence in the area to maintain safety.
Officials are encouraging those affected by storm damage to contact the Red Cross for assistance.
Employee of Ind. HS fights back tears after surveying storm damage
At Andrean High School in Merrillville, their entire campus, including the score board has been impacted by the storm.
A maintenance worker worked all night to clear debris from campus, and there was much of it in the road. The principal said one part of the school was miraculously left untouched.
"This is our grotto, this is kind of a special place for all of our students and staff It is kind of a serene garden area more than anything and it's one of the few areas of campus that was really spared," the principal said. "None of the candles have been impacted or destroyed. Most of our windows are blown out. The roof is damaged. I don't think there is a tree that isn't impacted. The grotto is here. The cross in the front, the crucifix is here, our mosaic is here, the chapel is untouched, so anything that's religious, seems to have been protect."
An Andrean employee named James was out assessing the damage Friday morning.
"I just think about the kids," he said. "They are supposed to be here for practice and summer is starting and sports and school is starting in a couple of months."
James said they are going to need tarps for the school as well as prayers.
"It's a special place and we are going to rebuild and make it better," he said.
Storm damage cleanup underway in Hobart, Indiana
In Hobart, crews were seen working overnight to clear out some of the downed trees near Third Street and Lake Park Avenue. A shelter has been set up at the police complex gym at 704 East Fourth Street in Hobart.
Just west of Hobart, in the Dyer, Saint John, Indiana area, more trees were uprooted and in some cases, sewage pipes and electrical lines were also pulled up.
According to town officials, multiple agencies from as far as Illinois are assisting as first responders search and assess the damage. Officials reminded the community to stay clear of any fallen utility lines or damaged utility poles.
The storms also damaged a building on Chicago's South Side. Firefighters were at the scene Friday in the 6500 block of South Stewart in Englewood. Part of the building's roof was ripped off and tossed into a nearby lot. There are no reports of any injuries.
Also, it appeared part of the roof of the Saint Nicholas of Tolentine School near 62nd Street and Lawndale Avenue in Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood may have been torn off.
The radar clocked winds of up to 100 miles-an-hour on the city's South Side Thursday night.
The village of Bartlett has declared a local state of disaster due to the storm damage. The mayor says this will help free up emergency funds as damage is assessed.
Chopper 7 caught damage at a playground in Bartlett outside a daycare near Norwood and Sutton.