A National Weather Service survey team was headed to northwest suburban Bartlett Friday to confirm what was strongly suspected – that a tornado touched down during Thursday evening’s violent storms.

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The team was to investigate damage after the weather service received reports of a touchdown in the area, National Weather Service meteorologist David King said Friday morning.

“Not yet confirmed, but good suspicions,” he said.

A narrow band around Route 59 and Stearns Road was severely damaged. Gas pumps at the BP gas station at the northwest corner were all completely flattened.

Bartlett resident Dan Kaye, who is a HAM radio operator, lives about four blocks from that corner. He was in his basement as tornado sirens were going off. Using a handheld radio, he heard other radio operators talk about damage they reported seeing from Arlington Heights, Algonquin and Schaumburg.

His home had no damage. But just two blocks away, Kaye saw trees uprooted and cracked in half.

Bartlett Village President Dan Gunsteen described in a Facebook post what the storm’s aftermath as “heartbreaking.” As of 1:30 a.m. Friday, no injuries were reported, he said.

The Bartlett Fire District posted on Facebook that the village saw “significant storm-related damage,” with the area of Stearns and Route 59, and areas to its east, most seriously affected.

“Emergency responders have identified extensive tree damage and structural damage to several homes,” the post said, adding local, township, and DuPage County agencies are working to “assess conditions, secure affected areas, and address immediate hazards, and down power lines.”

A more comprehensive damage assessment was also planned “to determine the full extent of the impact and identify any additional needs within the community.”

Residents were urged to avoid damaged areas and use caution while driving because of debris and other potential hazards.

A suspected tornado also touched down in Streator, leaving destroyed homes and devastation in its path.

The storms caused power outages and reports of flash flooding and road closures in McHenry County, but no major damage sites were reported as of Friday morning, McHenry County Emergency Management Director David Christensen said.

“I think it just came so quick,” he said. “I don’t have any lasting effects.”

An “incredible amount of water that fell through the sky” in a short amount of time, King, of the National Weather Service, said.

“There’s a swath of 2 to 3 inches that have been reported from people from central to northern McHenry County,” he said.

McHenry County missed the worst of the storms Thursday evening, as most of the significant damage was reported south of Interstate 80 and in Bartlett. A corridor of possible tornadoes was reported rolling through the area into central Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Nearly 4,500 ComEd customers were without power in McHenry County as of 7:22 p.m. Thursday, according to the utility company website. That number dropped to just over 200 customers still without power as of Friday afternoon. Systemwide, more than 4,000 customers remained without power.

In McHenry, police encouraged drivers to avoid Front Street-Route 31 between John Street to Oak Avenue because of flooding, according to an alert sent out just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Russ Adams, McHenry’s director of public works, said it wasn’t flooding from streams or blocked storm drains that caused the 2 inches of standing water on the road.

“We had 3 inches of rain in an hour and the culverts were overwhelmed,” he said.

Thursday’s storms followed a round that hit Wednesday, also leaving thousands temporarily without power.

A break in stormy weather is now expected for the northern Illinois region. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms could hit Saturday afternoon, with more possible overnight, according to the NWS. The region is predicted to be clear of precipitation Sunday and Monday.

Shaw Local reporter Joey Weslo contributed.