Giant tornado rips through city just south of Chicago, causing significant damage to area

A large tornado tore through a city just south of Chicago on Tuesday and caused significant damage, according to officials.

The tornado struck Kankakee County, about 47.5 miles south of Chicago, and caused major damage on the south side of Kankakee City, according to Trooper Jayme Bufford, a spokesperson for Illinois State Police.

In video shared on social media, the twister is seen ripping across a field of farmland near the local airport while storm chasers line the road in their vehicles.

Officials have just started cleanup, and details about the extent of the damage and whether there have been any injuries or deaths were not immediately known.

Kankakee City runs along the banks of the Kankakee River, and according to the most recent Census, has a population of about 23,500 people.