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

April 5, 2023|By Kevin Haas|In 815 News, Local, Rockford, Top Stories
This drone photo shot by Neil Bloom shows damage caused by a storm on Friday, March 31, 2023, along Spring Creek Road just west of Eisenhower Middle School. The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 tornado hit Rockford Friday, although it has not released the path yet. (Photo provided by Neil Bloom of Future Memory Media)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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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.

This map shows where the majority of calls for service came in to the Rockford Fire Department after the severe storms on Friday, March 31, 2023. (Image via city of Rockford government)

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.

A Tree Care Enterprises employee works to clear a tree and other debris off the roof of a home on Highland Avenue on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Rockford. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)

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