Illinois’ only F-5 tornado remembered 35 years after Plainfield disaster

Illinois? only F-5 tornado remembered 35 years after Plainfield disaster

Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of the deadly F-5 tornado that ripped through Chicago?s southwest suburbs.

CHICAGO - Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of the deadly F-5 tornado that ripped through Chicago’s southwest suburbs.

The backstory:

The Plainfield tornado touched down on Aug. 28, 1990, and remains the only F-5 tornado ever recorded in the state of Illinois. Even more staggering, it remains the strongest August tornado on record in the United States.

The storm ripped through Kendall and Will counties, killing 29 people and injuring more than 350. At its peak intensity, the tornado was a half mile in width with winds of over 200 mph. The twister left a 16.4-mile-long path of damage.

According to the National Weather Service, an estimated $160 million in damages was added up with a total of 470 homes destroyed and 1,000 damaged.

Interestingly, there are no known photographs or videos of the Plainfield tornado.

National Weather Service records show this was a rain-wrapped tornado and had low clouds and rain surrounding the twister. This made the tornado difficult to see.