The Oak Lawn Tornadoes 50 Years Later

On April 21, 1967, the Chicago area was in chaos following a catastrophic tornado outbreak that killed 58 people, injured more than a thousand, and caused millions in property damage.
Ten tornadoes ravaged Northern Illinois from Belvidere, east of Rockford, to Oak Lawn south of the city.
In part two of his look back 50 years, WGN-TV’s Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling has the stories of two Oak Lawn tornado survivors who were sixth graders getting ready for their confirmations.

[@MomentsNature-w8o]

The Oaklawn tornado in 1950 caused the death of 38 people and injured more than 100 people

[@dr8nkw0t8r]

I was a junior in high school and my brother was a senior, soon to graduate from Maine South in Park Ridge. Our youth group from the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church went to Oak Lawn to help, as soon as we were given the okay to enter the area. As I remember, the girls were only allowed to hand out coffee, but the boys helped pick up debris. The image that has stuck with me all these years was a corner where we were told a grocery store had stood. (Can someone confirm that?) The only thing left on that corner was a mangled shopping cart. Many of the Oak Lawn residents expressed heart-felt gratitude to us, but I remember feeling that the little our youth group had offered them was grossly insufficient. What we saw in Oak Lawn changed me forever. I, too, will not live in a home without a basement. Anytime I have detected complacency in others, I have told them about Oak Lawn. God bless all of you who suffered because of that terrible day, especially those who lost loved ones.

[@larrydrozd2740]

Missed our house on 96th and Natoma by 100 feet. First touched down on the corner and then tore down the Starlite Drive in. Tore EVERYTHING up....bad. Then it snowed.

[@TOM_GINGERALE]

A man named "Mr. Lace" who worked at the LIttle Red Schoolhouse saw it coming when it was still a funnel cloud. He called the National Weather Service to report it. The employee who took the call, asked Mr. Lace what direction was the funnel cloud heading, and Mr. Lace said it was going almost directly east. The weather bureau employee told him it can't be a tornado because they don't usually travel in that direction and then hung up on Mr. Lace. That story was told by Mr. Lace about 20 years ago. The "official" version of that incident was that the employee who took his call couldn't report it to others because he was unable to get a dial tone which is bullsh&t. Mr. Lace told how it really went down as opposed to the NWS official report which covered up the fact they hung up on him!

[@michaelinejunefrost9437]

I lived on the south side of Chicago near Archer Avenue & Kedzie, also near Kelly High School. I was very little and don’t remember the storm, but I do remember that my Father took my Mother and me over to Oak Lawn about two weeks after the tornado hit … even though cleanup had begun, seeing bare foundations, restaurants with no walls or roof but in the dining area the chairs were still sitting neatly at the tables - looking ready for customers to sit, order, and eat. I didn’t experience the terror of the tornado, my fear and fascination with weather began that day in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Please dear Lord bless all those people of Oak Lawn who were affected in any way by this terrible tornado.🙏🏻🌪

[@whathappenedtomyYThandle]

I was 10 and was fascinated by it, even though we fled our apt to seek shelter in a ditch by my grandmothers house. And that apartment bldg lost it's roof and everything inside. Remember the ice rink after, the grocery store ppl in the lot one still holding on to a cart. They burned all the debris & affected houses after.

[@818Dimples]

I am a tornado survivor. It also hit 83rd. & Cottage Grove in Chicago.

[@banjoist123]

I grew up near there. Reporters wept as they witnessed children at the morgue still wearing roller skates. Farmers found skates with feet still in them. I was 14 and will never forget that day. April 21st, 1967. 45 years ago tomorrow.

[@ILoveOldTWC]

Didn't Chicago have a significant blizzard in January that same year in 1967? So this tornado outbreak was only 3 months afterwards.

[@pookiecatblue]

Yep. It was quite a year. The blizzard was fun (I was a kid). The tornado not so much.

[@818Dimples]

Yes, tornado, and they tore down Riverview. 1967 was a rough year.

[@818Dimples]

That blizzard wasn't fun @ all.

[@marymcmahan5603]

I remember the Oak Lawn tornado. I lived at 103rd and Kedzie. My mom’s friend lived 1/2 block from St. Gerald’s. When we were allowed into the community, we visited my aunt. St. Gerald’s school was sawed in half.

[@marymcmahan5603]

I have never forgotten.

[@mysticakhenaton1701]

her brother blown a block away/DAMN!!!

[@vrartist]

More inspiration I survived this tornado. I was on the corner mentioned, 95th street and Southwest Highway where 18 people died. I was injured all over by flying glass and other things which hit my body when the windows to the locker room imploded on the school I was in. We were out on the track and I was running the mile race as I was the school's star miler. 18 people died on the corner I was at and I saved lives, walked 2 1/2 miles home through rubble pulling living and dead people out from under 20 feet of rubble. I also saved an old man who had a severe cut on his forehead by ripping off a piece of my own shirt and applying pressure and told him "hold that tight and go to that Red Cross truck station right there." I also rescued many of the injured children at the roller rink mentioned on the long walk home. When I got home the stunned neighbor (our house had major damage and a stoplight was in our living room) ... neighbor said: "your family is gone" I was scared but he meant gone over to your uncle's house. I made my way another mile or so there and they all cried and hugged me as they had heard of the death at the corner I was at.

[@banjoist123]

My God. What that must have been like. I grew up in DeKalb and remember this day very well. (I was also a miler!)

[@CC-rk8oc]

My dad was at the mcdades on 95th and southwest highway. He said the experience was life changing and he was surprised he lived to tell the story

[@sylviacervenka8497]

I live in oak lawn rip everyone that died😭😭

[@danadoozer9990]

Thanks for sharing your stories, I'm glad you survived!

[@jimmythetrapper]

Opening shot was over my house on 98th next to the water tower. I was young but remember it still.

[@donnasheraden6371]

I was home on 93rd street& 83rd Ave in HickoryHills. I saw the tornado going down 95th Street. It was huge, dark & fast. I was on the back porch roof ehen i saw it with a classmate of mine. Very scary We went to 87th & Harlem to get Dad's pay check cashed & buy groceries We got stopped by a big National Guard Sargent. It snowed on that Monday, but was gone by the time school was out for the day.

[@profkaren]

I was also supposed to make my confirmation that night at St. Gerald's, my 12th birthday.

[@domino8820]

Crazy a tornado hitting in Chicago cuz let's be real oak lawn less than a mile from Chicago so it's basically Chicago

[@williampavichevich5608]

May the Memory of All those Lost, be Eternal ✝️ and may they be resting in the LORD.🙏❤

[@danielmorse6597]

Wow, great job.

[@reggieparker7156]

This is Incredibly important Oak lawn 91first and Ciceroe tornado never heard of it until now I lived on Ciceroe and Gladys until twenty eight years old now I live where we experience tornado season our last major tornado was Florence last year .

[@edbreyer]

Great video! However, Jodi's house (or at least the replacement house shown in the video) was actually on 92nd Street.

[@stevenstrejc1310]

The guy at :34 sounded like a braud

[@periphron]

The tragedy is that people consider themselves "lucky" and don't recognize the hand of God.

[@larrydrozd2740]

Funny how god sets a tornado on you then lets you live?? I wish he would make up his mind.

[@vbeck5517]

i was in it gary beck!!!!!