Area cleans up after storms

Metal from a shed is wrapped around a tree after what was believed to have been a tornado in southeastern Livingston County Friday evening. Photo was taken Saturday morning with electrical crews working in the background.

Several tornadoes and severe thunderstorms hit Central Illinois Friday night and left behind some damage.

The National Weather Service confirmed that 8 tornadoes hit McLean County with some of the storm activity crossing into Livingston and Ford counties. Significant damage was reported in and around Bloomington-Normal, Downs, Ellsworth, Gibson City, Loda and Milford.

An EF-1 with 100 mile per hour winds touched down near Heyworth and tracked over 30 miles impacting Downs and Ellsworth. It lifted not far from the Ford County line. A Normal tornado was on the ground from the Rivian factory to Towanda Avenue and one hit Bloomington from Eastland Mall to the northeast and Towanda-Barnes Road. The Normal storm had a wind gust report of 85 miles per hour.

A tornado at Colfax was rated EF-1 with 90 mile per hour winds and began in northeast McLean County about four miles northwest of Colfax damaging trees and power lines before crossing into Livingston County causing more tree damage and damaging a machine shed.

The Gibson City tornado was rated EF-1 and began near Saybrook. At Gibson City, trees were downed with roof and power line damage on West 8th Street to the northeast. Other towns impacted by storms included Towanda and Lexington.