911 calls released from night of deadly EF3 tornado in Kankakee County; residents still recovering
Officials say nearly 500 buildings were damaged, and about 30 homes were destroyed.
AROMA PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- Two weeks ago, deadly tornadoes ravaged parts of Illinois and northwest Indiana.
One of the areas hardest hit was Aroma Park, just outside of Kankakee.
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"When you go through something like that, you realize how precious life is," tornado victim Tom Demoyer said.
Almost every inch of the small Kankakee County area is marked by the wrath of a deadly EF3 tornado.
"I looked out, and I could see it coming," Demoyer said.
Several 911 calls were released.
One person called to say they had been hit in the head by a nail.
Another said an electrical line was down, and there was a fire in their yard.
Officials say nearly 500 buildings were damaged, and about 30 homes were destroyed.
The Demoyer family spoke from where their garage once stood.
"Me and the granddaughter headed for the house, barely got in the house. And it just broke loose. Stuff was going everywhere, pieces of houses going by," Demoyer said.
Army veteran Maurice Norington was the sole victim in Illinois whose life was claimed in the tornado.
The 65-year-old was found dead under wreckage, caused by a toppled tree, in his Aroma Park home days after the storm hit.
"He had a beautiful life, well-lived. He truly lived and did the things that he wanted to do in life," niece Monique Norington-Joseph said. "Life is very fragile, and you just never know when tragedy will hit your family."
