5 hospitalized after tornado rips through Chicago suburb: ‘Like a bomb went off’

(NAPERVILLE, Ill.) — A tornado tore through the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, just after 11 p.m. Sunday, leaving five people in the hospital, including one in critical condition, city officials said.

“It was like a bomb went off with all the debris in the streets,” Ryan Puraleski told ABC News.

Sixteen houses have been deemed uninhabitable, officials said, adding that inspectors will continue to inspect damage Monday morning.

The twister also downed power lines, leaving about 450 customers without power. The city said restoration is expected by midnight.

Meanwhile, severe weather tore through Alabama, including 11 tornadoes, as Tropical Storm Claudette slammed the South.

An EF-2 tornado struck East Brewton, Alabama, injuring 20 people, according to the National Weather Service. East Brewton police said two of the injured were life-flighted to hospitals.

Tornado damage in East Brewton. We are all fine, but the trailer park is in bad shape. @rzweather @spann pic.twitter.com/6hm00s9gUZ

— Alicia Jossey (@alicia_ryanne) June 19, 2021

At least three storm-related deaths were reported in Alabama this weekend.

In Tuscaloosa, a 24-year-old man and his 3-year-old son were killed when a tree fell on top of their house, according to Capt. Marty Sellers of the Tuscaloosa Police Department.

In Fort Payne, a 22-year-old woman drowned in floodwaters Saturday night, DeKalb County coroner Tom Wilson told ABC News.

Claudette is expected to move out to sea Monday morning. But the same storm system that brought the severe weather to the Midwest will stall in the South this week and bring heavy rainfall and possibly flash flooding.

ABC News’ Alice Chambers contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.