Deaf man sleeps through Chicago tornado
A deaf man named Leonard Vaznonis slept through a tornado that destroyed his home in Woodridge, Illinois, which is near Chicago. He said in an interview that firefighters woke him up on Monday early morning to inform him that his roof was damaged and to evacuate him.
Leonard Vaznonis: It was Father’s Day. I came home from somewhere and I was tired. It was around 8:30. I went to bed at 10:30. As I slept, I felt some rumbling. I opened the window curtains but couldn’t see anything outside. So I just went back to bed again. Then firemen came and rang the doorbell. There were red flashing lights. I opened the door and asked what was going on. They told me to get out because the roof could collapse. There was damage all around, it was bad. There was water everywhere.
Alex: Here is a video clip of the damage to Leonard’s property, who was posted by a person who visited him. Leonard is wearing a green shirt.
[Video clip]
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Alex: Leonard said he talked with his insurance company and that they told him his home had to be demolished with a new home built.
Leonard Vaznonis: I talked with my insurance company and after they looked around, they said it was a total loss. The home has to be demolished in place for a new building, a new house. So, that’s that. It’s the first time in 45 years. I did not get hurt or anything, no injuries at all.
Alex: It’s a relief that Leonard was not hurt. He said several homes in his neighborhood were completely destroyed.
The National Weather Service said the tornado that struck Woodridge was an EF-3 tornado with 140 mph winds. It was on the ground for 20 minutes and had a 16-mile path. Approximately 230 homes in Woodridge and Naperville were damaged. There were no deaths, but 11 people were injured.