Plainfield, IL F5 Tornado – August 28, 1990

A large, killer tornado spun a path of destruction across Kendall and Will counties late in the afternoon.  This unusual, late August tornado killed 29 people and seriously injured at least 350.  It caused an estimated $165 million damage, including about $100 million damage to private property, and at least 50 businesses were destroyed.  Many homes, townhouses and apartments are destroyed or damaged.  

It first touched down at at Oswego at about 1430 CST and moved southeast, crossing the Kendall-Will County border, 6 miles south of their north border, and lifted at about 1450 CST in Joliet.  The damage path was 16.4 miles long and ranged from 200 yards to a half-mile wide.  

Aerial survey revealed the tornado first touched down at Oswego, damaged several buildings, and moved southeast across crop land roughly parallel to US Route 30.  The first 4 miles it was F1 and F2 across rural areas, then became F3 across Wheatland Plains where it destroyed 12 homes, damaged 50 and did more than $9.2 million damage.  As it approached Plainfield, it reached maximum intensity F5 and destroyed two large steel electric transmission towers and damaged others.  It then destroyed Plainfield High School with F3 intensity, where double brick and concrete block walls were demolished, and 2,300-pound concrete blocks were toppled.  The football team was practicing and took shelter just before the tornado struck.  Also in Plainfield, six people were killed, 55 homes were destroyed and 205 damaged.  Grand Prairie Elementary School and District Administrative Center were destroyed for a total estimated loss of $60 million.  At Saint Mary Immaculate, three people died, and $6 million damage was done to the church, school, rectory and convent.

For the next 4 miles the tornado continued at F3 and F4 intensity and along Illinois Route 59 several shopping malls were damaged for a loss of $3.5 million.  At Peerless Estates, 75 homes were destroyed, 148 homes damaged for a loss of $15.4 million.  At Lily Cache, one person died, 55 homes were destroyed, and 127 homes damaged for a loss of $11.5 million.  At Crystal Lawns, two people died, 69 homes were destroyed and 24 damaged for a loss over $15 million.  At Warwick Estates, the tornado was F3 to F2 intensity, killed two people, destroyed 50 homes and damage 31 homes for a loss of over $6 million.  At Crest Hill Lakes, it killed eight people, some of whom were thrown into corn fields from their apartments, destroyed three buildings containing 100 apartments and did over $5 million damage.  On Cedarwood Drive, two people were killed.  At Colony West, 12 homes were destroy for a $2.2 million loss and at Elizabeth Court, three apartment buildings were destroyed for a $300,000 loss.  The tornado continued southeast into the west side of Joliet as F2 and F1; at Bridalwreath, three homes were destroyed and 88 damaged for a $2.7 million loss.  The tornado weakened as it crossed Larkin Avenue just north of Glenwood Avenue and lifted within a half mile.

The surprise factor was great with this tornado because a powerful thunderstorm was in progress with low cloud bases, and its early stages were masked by the preceding downburst.  Eyewitness accounts testify to abrupt and complete devastation;  people were unable to communicate the damage to others until it was too late.