'Honor The Lives Lost': Library Remembers 1990 Plainfield Tornado

PLAINFIELD, IL — The Plainfield Public Library District has amassed a vast collection of photos, videos and documents that pay homage to the terrifying F-5 tornado that had ripped through the village on Aug. 28, 1990, killing 29 people, injuring 350 and leveling homes, schools and businesses.

A former library employee, Mary Rohr, had begun collecting newspaper articles and materials in the days after the storm. The next year, she created five binders full of articles and photographs from local and national newspapers, along with articles sent from someone in Germany who had lived through it all.

Tina Beaird, a librarian, was hired by the district in 2002 and since then she has been involved with this project. With this year being the 30th anniversary of the Plainfield tornado, the library once again asked residents to send in materials to add to the growing collection.

"The library receives multiple requests from residents, students and other interested parties each year for information about the storm and its impact on the community," Beaird said. "We also field calls from news agencies both within Illinois and across the country asking for photos and documents related to the tornado. The digital collection was necessary to help those who could not come to our library in-person to look through the hundreds of documents and photos we had been given over the years."

The 1990 Tornado Collection on the library's website has hundreds of photos and newspaper articles that were donated families who were impacted by the storm. Some individuals contributed stories to the compilation "Black Sky: Plainfield Tornado August 28, 1990" that was printed as part of the 15th anniversary of the storm.

The collection also includes programs, invitations, press releases and other materials produced after the storm. People can read or listen to first-person accounts to get a better understanding of what happened and how the community rallied and moved forward together.

"When such a tragic event happens within a community, there needs to be a place where people can turn to share their personal story and help others, who may have never experienced such tragedies, but need to understand how the event changed the lives and landscape of those who experienced it," Beaird said. "There needs to be a place where people can honor the lives lost and celebrate those that worked tirelessly to aid those affected and who rebuilt the community one life, one building and one day at a time."

Plainfield has a history of being hit by tornadoes. On April 27, 1984, a tornado touched down in Plainfield and Troy Townships, causing over $1.5 million dollars in damages and injured six people. Another one occurred on March 29, 1920, and destroyed many cribs, sheds, roofs, windmills, chimneys, barns and houses.

The 1990 tornado also affected the library and it lost its branch, which was located at 3100 Caton Farm Road in the Grand Prairie Elementary School. Four staff people were in the library at the time the tornado struck but escaped injury. The branch collection of over 12,000 volumes with an estimated value of $200,000 suffered extensive water damage.

Being a part of this project has been "a rewarding and humbling experience" for Beaird. She said she had the opportunity to connect with people on a more profound, personal level.

"Over the last 18 years, I have interviewed dozens of survivors: some lost family, friends, their homes, and all of their possessions," she said. "I have interviewed volunteers like Mike Hennessey, director of the Will County United Way, who arrived to help after the storm. Many volunteers from surrounding communities felt compelled to offer a helping hand, and a shoulder to cry on."

She also talked to Duane Krieger, Will County Coroner, and Bob Persicketti, a Will County Sheriff evidence technician, who worked long hours during those first two days to identify the bodies and alert their loved ones.

"Each story reminds me of the courage and perseverance of the human spirit," Beaird said. "My most prized possessions are two hand-blown glass heart pendants that were given to me by survivor Sylvia Regis after her interview in 2015. Sylvia’s daughter owns a successful glass studio in downtown Joliet."

The coronavirus pandemic has ensured that people can only view this collection online this year, but the other challenge she faced was getting information when many survivors are still reluctant to walk down memory lane.

"There will always be people who do not want to talk about their experience. It isn’t necessarily a challenge, but an opportunity," Beaird said. "We continue to collect these stories because each person comes at a traumatic event at different times and in different ways. When people are ready to share, we’ll be here to listen. No one can tell your story the way you can."

To share your story with the library, submit your materials here.

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