EF-2 tornado struck Lena, Illinois with peak winds around 130 mph, NWS confirms

An EF-2 tornado struck Lena, Illinois during Friday’s severe storms, National Weather Service crews said after surveying the path of destruction the storm left behind.

Between 3:32 p.m. and 3:55 p.m. on Friday, an EF-2 tornado with peak winds around 130 mph touched down southwest of Lena, Illinois near Highway 20, NWS said.

The tornado tracked through Lena before lifting off southwest of McConnell, Illinois, NWS said. The most significant damage was on Grove Street, where roofs were blown off three houses. Two of those homes also partially collapsed, officials said.

“A lot of damage was noted to trees, power poles, and structures around Lena,” NWS said.

The tornado, that traveled an 8.5-mile path, reached a maximum width of 750 yards, according to NWS.

No injuries or deaths have yet to be reported in Lena despite extensive damage in the area.

A livestream video captured the severe storms blanketing Lena. Debris can be seen blowing through the air.

Dramatic timelapse video captures a violent storm tearing across Lena, Illinois

The tornado that struck Lena was one of at least seven confirmed tornadoes that touched down in Illinois on Friday. The EF-2 in Lena is the strongest tornado reported yet for Friday’s storms.

In addition to the EF-2 in Lena, three struck Winnebago County and three others hit east-central Illinois counties.

The tornadoes come shortly after Illinois ranked first in the U.S. for severe weather this year.