OTTAWA, Ill. (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump is monitoring severe weather that caused a string of tornadoes blamed for three deaths in the Midwest.
The deadly storm is moving to the East, and White House spokesman Sean Spicer says the president urges everyone in the storm’s path to follow directions from emergency services officials and stay inside.
Spicer says the White House will stay in touch with state and local officials to provide federal support as needed.
Hundreds of homes have been damaged or destroyed in storms that began Tuesday night. One man was killed in Missouri and two people died in Illinois.
Earlier today, authorities identified a central Illinois man who was killed by a deadly storm system that pummeled much of the Midwest.
The LaSalle County coroner’s office said Wednesday that 76-year-old Wayne Tuntland, of Ottawa, was crushed by a falling tree. More than a dozen people in the area were injured.
Fire Chief John Nevins says about 50 of 200 homes were damaged in Naplate, a small community next to Ottawa.
Gov. Bruce Rauner toured the region Wednesday and thanked first responders.
The storms have been blamed for two other deaths, including one in southeastern Illinois and one in Missouri. The storm system has spawned several tornadoes and caused damage in more than half a dozen states as it moves eastward.
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