Destructive tornadoes hit Homer and Sidney, Illinois

According to weather officials, 4 confirmed tornadoes have touched down in east central Illinois on Friday night local time, September 9, 2016, causing significant damage. The others were in Vermilion and Clark counties, NWS said.

Significant damage was reported in the towns of Homer, between the city of Champaign and Danville, and Sidney, south of Danville.

Two houses were destroyed south of Homer, Champaign County Sheriff's Department said, but no injuries have been reported. A corn crib and crops have also been severely damaged.

"Initially it was quite small, a small little cone tornado," Jeff Frame, a local meteorologist and instructor at the University of Illinois, said. But it grew bigger.

"We were about a mile away from a farmhouse, and we saw the tornado impact the structure, a significant amount of debris was lofted into the air," Frame said. "The house had been partially collapsed and moved off the foundation."

Significant damage south of Homer, IL #ilwx pic.twitter.com/iAsJnGndUW
— Andrew Pritchard (@skydrama) September 10, 2016

A house and one recreational vehicle near the house were torn apart in Sidney, the local fire department said. Homeowners hid in the basement and no one was hurt.