I was in Joliet that fateful August day at a friends home, several miles south of the apartment complex in Crest Hill where many died. We lost power, and phone service shortly after all hell broke loose. I had tracked that storm on radar since the noon hour, a lone super cell that took a very unusual path...as it began in Rockford then moved southeast. We didn't have social media, not even doppler radar for early warning...nobody knew what was coming.
As the sun began to set, I headed north into Plainfield and arrived before the national guard had been deployed. I got right into the heart of the devastation. Dumpsters were buried into what was left of concrete block walls, sand was literally ingrained into tree trunks. Residents were all wandering aimlessly, in obvious shock.
It was awful. I have been through 4 hurricanes, including Charlie in 2004 which I literally rode out in a parking garage as 150 MPH winds tore apart Port Charlotte FL. Even that devastation paled in comparison to Plainfield.
I also was in on the relief effort, delivering medical supplies for days following the tragedy. Many Chicago residents did the same, one of the few bright spots in the tragedy b/c it brought us together as a community.
Wow. Thanks for the story. I live right by Plainfield and am always driving through there. Do you know what part the tornado hit? I believe it was off 55 and downtown? Everything I've read about that storm is insane. It's one of the most powerful tornados ever recorded and Dr. Fujita was quoted as saying he never saw such devestation as he did in Plainfield, IL. Pretty scary stuff.
I was only 2, but my mom took me with her to Orland Park mall that day and she swears to this day that she never felt such uncomfortable, muggy humid air as the few hours before the storm hit. They also drove to Plainfield to drop off supplies and still say it's scary to think about. I've always been interested in that particular storm because of how odd it is, it's historical value and it's a very famous tornado in the storm community. People say that it was extremely dark, green and nasty as it approached.
Sun, if I had read right, many who died were in the Crest Hill apartments and had nowhere to run/no knowledge of the tornado? That's awful.
I read a article awhile back from a meteorologist that Plainfield is due for another big tornado. I forgot the whole portion of it, but what it stated was the way the land is laid out from the Dekalb open field winds and something about the Fox River still leads Plainfield a prime spot for another F-5 in the near future.
I thought you'd really appreciate this video.
[video=youtube;WP9EcNAPGJs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP9EcNAPGJs[/video]
It's the Plainfield supercell just north in Dekalb. 20 minutes later it would spark the Tornado.
