Thirty-five years ago, the F5 1990 Plainfield Tornado devastated the area, killing 29 people, injuring more than 353, with around $380 million today in damages. The storm shocked and shattered the community. Gathered stories help piece together the community’s collective endurance and strength through loss.

Aaron Rutsay, Oswego, ‘A scar on my forearm to remind me’

I was practice for the Oswego High School soccer team, where I was beginning my junior year. We noticed the storm coming in as the sky turned a greenish color. My coach, Randy French, said the last time he saw a sky like that there was a tornado and ended practice early.

By the time we got to my friend’s car, heavy rain and wind began, so we waiting in the car. Only a few minutes later the passenger side window shattered, sending shards of glass onto my lap. We panicked and got out of the car to run to the school for safety.

We didn’t get far as the wind was pushing the rain water across the parking lot like a river. It swept our feet out from under us. As we lied on the ground with the rain whipping our face and bodies, the storm was loud, like a freight train. We yelled at each other to confirm we were safe. Just then, I noticed his car rolling east toward the Stone Hill industrial park. The car stopped on a berm just behind one of the buildings whose roof had peeled off like a sardine can.

We ran toward the field house. We made it in inside and I noticed my arm was bleeding. A shard of glass had cut me when the window exploded, likely from the air pressure change.

We didn’t realize it was a tornado until we started driving home and saw the destruction. It had touched down near the intersection of (U.S.) Route 34 and (Illinois) Route 71. The building that housed Toby’s Video was completely demolished around 300 yards from our car. We were fortunate we didn’t get hit by flying debris. I survived that day and still have a scar on my forearm to remind me.

Jorie-Lee-Johnnic, Oswego, ‘My sister was in labor’

My sister was in labor and I was on my way to babysit my niece. While they went to the hospital I was delayed getting to her house because roads were blocked in route to Oswego on 95th Street. They made it in time to the hospital and my niece was born later that night.

My boyfriend at the time worked at McDowells Truck Parts at the corner of (Illinois) Route 71, 95th Street, and (U.S.) Route 34. They had a partially collapsed building. He and his stepson were both there. They weren’t injured too badly, but someone got stuck under some rubble.

When the tornado reached Plainfield, it took out the Parks Brothers grocery store buildingnext to St. Marys. Very good friends of ours owned the grocery store, Rich and Shirley Gehrke.

Jon Stott, Yorkville, ‘I remember it like yesterday’

I was 9 years old. I remember it like yesterday. I was playing tennis at the Yorkville tennis courts with my aunt, mom and my brother. It was a nice morning, but halfway through playing, the weather got incredibly hot and unbelievably humid.

I’ll never forget it, all of a sudden it got very dark, especially towards Plainfield. And then it got really, really quiet, zero wind. All of a sudden, it got crazy windy, and dust in the parking lot starting flying everywhere. You couldn’t even see the cars it was so dusty. Then the sirens went off, and we sprinted to our cars. We ended up driving home fast because of the storm.

It made me self-conscious of always being aware of my surroundings and I realized how damaging weather can be. Seeing the damage first hand driving through Plainfield, made me value my family, my house, and appreciate everything that I normally took for granted.

Rita Johns, Plainfield, ‘Everyone knew someone that was gone’

I was at Gehrkes grocery store in Plainfield on (Illinois) Route 59. I noticed there was trouble when the wind pushed the metal awning through the store’s front window. I turned around and ran. I was trying to help calm children down around me. We had like four inches of rain in 10 minutes pour through tiles above us like a sieve. The tornado had ripped off the roof.

Live power lines dropped on the outer building preventing anyone from escaping, trapping like 25 people. The incinerator in the store’s back blew up, causing a fire we were unaware of.

When we finally got out, a building next to us was completely gone. You could see damage in the direction of the high school. Cars were all damaged, mine had a light pole on it. I was 25, and just wanted to tell my mom I was safe.

I lived in Lily Cache subdivision. We lost around 150 homes in our neighborhood. Many people knew the principal of the Catholic school that was killed. One of my science teachers was killed at the high school. Everyone knew someone that was gone or seriously injured.

The community really came together. There was a shelter for people that lost their homes, but the shelter was empty because everybody had someone that let them stay with them.

Even right after the storm, the high school football players were searching houses for survivors, it was amazing how everyone was helping. By the time the Corps of Engineers came to help the next day, we had all already been out there cleaning up debris.

It showed me the importance of community and knowing and caring for your neighbors.