Tornadoes cause damage in southern Illinois, cleanup underway

CHICAGO - While the Chicago area experienced tornado warnings with minimal damage over the Memorial Day weekend, southern Illinois is dealing with the aftermath of two confirmed tornadoes.

In Goreville, near Lake of Egypt, video footage captured a twister against dark clouds, illustrating the severity of the weather. The tornadoes touched down in Marion and Johnson County, causing significant damage.

ComEd has dispatched more than 200 employees to assist with the cleanup efforts. Residents in the affected areas are beginning the process of rebuilding and assessing the extent of the damage.

Meanwhile, powerful storms killed at least 15 people, injured hundreds and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where dozens sought shelter in a restroom during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.

The storms inflicted their worst damage in a region spanning from north of Dallas to the northwest corner of Arkansas, and the system threatened to bring more violent weather to other parts of the Midwest later in the day. By Monday, forecasters said, the greatest risk would shift to the east, covering a broad swath of the country from Alabama to near New York City.

Seven deaths were reported in Cooke County, Texas, near the Oklahoma border, where a tornado Saturday night plowed through a rural area near a mobile home park, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference Sunday. The dead included two children, ages 2 and 5. Three family members were found dead in one home, according to the county sheriff.

Storms also killed two people and destroyed houses in Oklahoma, where the injured included guests at an outdoor wedding, five people in Arkansas and one person in Kentucky. Tens of thousands of residents were without power across the region.

In Texas, about 100 people were injured and more than 200 homes and structures destroyed, said Abbott, sitting in front of a ravaged truck stop near the small agricultural community of Valley View. The area was among the hardest-hit, with winds reaching an estimated 135 mph, officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.