30 years later, the tornado still has Plainfield's name on it

The legendary tornado that hit Plainfield 30 years ago has had a lasting effect for the community that rebuilt in its aftermath.

For better or worse, the Aug. 28, 1990, tornado may be what Plainfield is most known for.

"If you mention Chicago, it's Al Capone," Mayor Mike Collins said. "If you mention Joliet, it's the prison. If you mention Plainfield, it's the tornado."

The tornado that killed 29 people and damaged or destroyed more than 1,000 homes and businesses devastated sections of Joliet and Crest Hill, too. But it did the most damage in Plainfield.

It destroyed the St. Mary Immaculate Parish school and severely damaged the church, which was rebuilt and held a virtual prayer service Friday to, in the words of the parish website, "commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1990 tornado that changed the life of our parish and the community forever."

"We want to remember all the people who perished in the tornado," parish development director Pam Angelus said.

Three people at the parish campus were killed by the tornado: school principal Sister Mary Keenan, music teacher Gloria Sanchez and Howard Hawes Jr., the son of the rectory cook.

The village's one high school in 1990 was destroyed. It was rebuilt and now is Plainfield Central High School, one of four high schools in Plainfield School District 202.

The story of the Plainfield tornado may be one of rebuilding and community spirit as much as it is one of destruction.

"Plainfield is resilient, and it grew back," said Collins, a lifelong resident who was a volunteer firefighter at the time of the tornado.

"There was a lot of volunteerism where people were going through the various houses to make sure no one was in them," he said. "It was quite a story of the townsfolk coming together."

As for the destruction, the tornado descended upon Plainfield about 3 p.m., hitting the village first before twisting its way into Joliet and Crest Hill, where houses and apartment buildings were destroyed.

Of the 29 people killed, 24 were said to have instantly died.

Another 350 were injured.

The tornado destroyed 470 homes and damaged 1,000 others.

It was an F5 tornado, the highest rating on the Fujita scale, with winds up to 310 mph. It traveled 16.4 miles in 8 minutes and cut a path ranging from 200 yards to a half-mile wide.

The weekly storm siren in Plainfield that was tested every Tuesday became a frightening sound in the ensuing months.

"For a year, you could still hear kids crying when the siren went off," Collins said. "They were so scared from it."

The Plainfield Public Library keeps a collection of photos from the tornado on its website along with interviews from public officials and local residents who lived through it.

"Thousands of volunteers, doctors and nurses and organizations worked to rebuild homes, businesses and, most importantly, the lives that had been torn apart by the storm," according to the recount on the library website. "Plainfield is just one of several communities that were impacted by that day who came together in solidarity to offer support to those in need. The memories of those individuals help those who never experienced the tornado understand how this event impacted and shaped the community for decades to come."