National Weather Service confirms EF-1 tornado struck Rockford on Friday

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our mobile app
ROCKFORD — The National Weather Service has now confirmed that an EF-1 tornado struck parts of the city on Friday.
The weather service released that confirmation Tuesday night as it continues its assessment of the severity of the powerful storms that swept through northern Illinois and northwest Indiana last week. Its latest report brings the total number of tornadoes confirmed to 20.
The weather service said details about the path of the Rockford tornado will be released at a later time.
Storm coverage: Poplar Grove family that runs the Pumpkin Patch has family form devastated by tornado
The city of Rockford said it received 444 calls for service Friday night, with the majority of the damage reported in the central parts of the city. That includes multiple trees uprooted, power lines knocked down and building damage along Spring Creek Road, which the city initially closed for traffic after the storm because of the damage.
There were also multiple trees toppled in neighborhoods south of Rural Street and along Highcrest Road, which saw significant damage.

The weather service also said Tuesday night that the previously confirmed tornado in Caledonia and Poplar Grove has been assigned an EF-1 rating. It stated that this tornado had a continuous track through the Sharon and Delavan Lake, Wisconsin, areas.
On the Enhanced Fujita Scale, an EF-1 tornado has 3-second gusts of wind ranging from 86 to 110 miles per hour, according to the weather service.
Tornado coverage: State officials praise Belvidere’s response, pledge to support recovery efforts
That tornado destroyed parts of the Lindberg family farm in Poplar Grove, causing an estimated $1 million in damages. The Lindberg family runs the Pumpkin Patch in Caledonia. The tornado missed that popular fall attraction but it tore through grain bins, a silo and other building on the family farm to the east of the patch.

20 tornadoes confirmed so far
- EF-1 north of Pontiac
- EF-1 near Deer Grove
- EF-2 near Amboy
- EF-1 in West Brooklyn
- Near Baileyville (rating TBD)
- EF-1 in Rockford
- EF-1 in Machesney Park
- EF-1 from Davis Junction to Belvidere
- EF-1 from Caledonia/Poplar Grove to Delavan Lake, Wisconsin
- EF-0 in Montgomery and Aurora
- EF-0 in Batavia
- EF-0 in St. Charles
- EF-0 in Plainfield
- EF-1 near Wellington
- EF-1 near Stockland
- EF-1 from Lombard to Addison
- EF-1 in Merrillville, Indiana
- EF-2 near Oxford, Indiana
- EF-2 near Fowler, Indiana
- EF-1 near Remington, Indiana
Source: National Weather Service
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas