Confirmed Tornado Caused Barn Collapse In McHenry Co.: NWS

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado touched down in McHenry County this past week, leading to the collapse of a barn near Harvard.

The EF-O tornado, which is the weakest of tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita scale, developed in far northern Illinois and then tracked northwest of Harvard and into Wisconsin before it ended east of Walworth, Wisconsin, according to National Weather Service officials.

Fire crews were called to the reported fire and barn collapse at about 2:35 p.m. Tuesday in the 10800 block of Weidner Road in unincorporated Harvard. The tornado contributed to the collapse of the barn, weather officials said.

The barn landed on "a number of sheep" that were inside it, according to the National Weather Service.

Four animals were killed in the incident. Fire crews did save 24 sheep, 18 goats, one cow and several chickens and ducks from the barn.

Fire officials said that when the structure collapsed, it left a void on the lower level that ended up protecting nearly all the animals from the fire.

• Firefighters Save 24 Sheep, 18 Goats From Barn Fire

No firefighters or residents were injured in the blaze.