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Midwest twisters kill 7, idle nuke plant
STREATOR, Ill., (UPI) -- Operators of a nuclear power plant in Michigan said they shut down early Sunday during a powerful storm system that produced tornadoes that killed five people.
Storms rolling into the Northeast Sunday afternoon triggered tornado watches from Virginia to New England.
The Fermi 2 Power Plant near Monroe, Mich., shut down automatically after the foul weather knocked out one of two offsite power feeds to the plant. DTE Energy said in a written statement a low-priority alert was also generated after the winds knocked some siding off a building at the complex, but there was no radiation danger.
The death toll in Ohio rose to seven as rescuers checked the damage in Wood County. A twister touched down in the area south of Toledo, killing a 5-year-old child and two people caught in a vehicle, CNN reported. Details were not immediately available on the death of four other victims, who ranged in age from 20 to 56, the report said.
The National Weather Service said the tornado was classified as an F2, with winds ranging from 113 mph to 157 mph, CNN reported.
Tornadoes also touched down in central Illinois and other parts of Ohio, causing extensive damage in small towns, including Streator, which one witness told the Chicago Tribune had been "devastated." Three homes were destroyed in Streator and an estimated 30 homes were damaged, authorities said.
Eleven people were injured in Monroe County, Mich., while as many as 500 at a water park were evacuated to a school, authorities said.
Forecasters said there was a chance for severe storms and tornadoes Sunday evening in parts of the U.S. Northeast.
STREATOR, Ill., (UPI) -- Operators of a nuclear power plant in Michigan said they shut down early Sunday during a powerful storm system that produced tornadoes that killed five people.
Storms rolling into the Northeast Sunday afternoon triggered tornado watches from Virginia to New England.
The Fermi 2 Power Plant near Monroe, Mich., shut down automatically after the foul weather knocked out one of two offsite power feeds to the plant. DTE Energy said in a written statement a low-priority alert was also generated after the winds knocked some siding off a building at the complex, but there was no radiation danger.
The death toll in Ohio rose to seven as rescuers checked the damage in Wood County. A twister touched down in the area south of Toledo, killing a 5-year-old child and two people caught in a vehicle, CNN reported. Details were not immediately available on the death of four other victims, who ranged in age from 20 to 56, the report said.
The National Weather Service said the tornado was classified as an F2, with winds ranging from 113 mph to 157 mph, CNN reported.
Tornadoes also touched down in central Illinois and other parts of Ohio, causing extensive damage in small towns, including Streator, which one witness told the Chicago Tribune had been "devastated." Three homes were destroyed in Streator and an estimated 30 homes were damaged, authorities said.
Eleven people were injured in Monroe County, Mich., while as many as 500 at a water park were evacuated to a school, authorities said.
Forecasters said there was a chance for severe storms and tornadoes Sunday evening in parts of the U.S. Northeast.