Tornadoes touch down in Illinois, homes damaged

The National Weather Service says survey teams will be moving across Illinois to catalog damage and determine the number of tornados that touched down in the state.

The twisters were spawned by a powerful storm system that moved through a large swath of the central U.S. on Tuesday and Wednesday. It has killed at least three people, including two in Illinois.

Meteorologist Amy Seeley says the teams on Wednesday also will determine how long tornados were on the ground.

Authorities say one person was killed Tuesday in the central Illinois city of Ottawa by a tornado spawned by a late-winter storm system. And in the Crossville area, authorities say a suspected tornado killed a 71-year-old man and injured his wife.

A tornado hit the LaSalle County Nursing Home in Ottawa, but no serious injuries were reported to residents. Gov. Bruce Rauner plans to survey the damage Wednesday morning.

Officials estimates about 50 homes were damaged in the village of Naplate, west of Ottawa.
(AP)