Destructive tornado "sounded like thunder" as it hurled tree into Illinois home, witness says

[00:00:00]All right, let's get to weather. People in parts of New Orleans were under a tornado warning this morning. Several other twisters were confirmed in parts of the Midwest as a band of severe weather marches east. CBS News meteorologist Rob Marciano is in Effingham, Illinois this morning. So, Rob, what are you seeing?

[00:00:18]>> Well, we're seeing a lot of cleanup already. So, this this area that got hammered by the that the tornado shortly before sunset last night took out and we kind of had to move around because of so much action activity here, but basically heavy equipment's coming in to take care of this building which is kind of a storage building for this this antique and car car museum that's quite popular in this area and that has been more or less totally destroyed. So, one of several tornadoes that came across this area. We had nine eight or nine in all which doesn't sound like a lot, but they were big and they were moving fast.

[00:00:53]>> OH MY GOD!

[00:00:55]BIG TIME INTENSITY!

[00:00:57]>> A POWERFUL cluster of tornadoes screaming through central Illinois leaving several paths of destruction. In Effingham County, some homes were ripped to shreds with nothing but piles of beams left behind. Extreme winds taking out part of a museum. The walls collapsing on its collectible cars.

[00:01:14]>> This is tornado just came through Charleston, Illinois. We got big tree knocked down nearly every street. One there, one there. Taking down power lines. People are trying to get around.

[00:01:23]This is impossible. We've even seen some roofs torn off.

[00:01:26]>> We were there right after a huge tree crashed onto Gabe Sargent's house.

[00:01:30]>> It almost sounded really like thunder, but it was the sound of the tree smashing up the house and I just felt the whole house shake.

[00:01:37]>> He showed us the damage outside the bathroom where he and his family hid from the storm.

[00:01:41]>> My youngest son and then my girlfriend him and then me on both of them with pillows on top of us.

[00:01:47]>> Another view of the same storm showing the powerful wind.

[00:01:50]>> THIS IS A TORNADO! GET INSIDE!

[00:01:53]>> AND MOMENTS later the damage across the street.

[00:01:56]>> What was going through your head you had your face in the shielding your entire family protected no matter what. I know I I didn't think that it didn't matter. If I had to lift the whole tree off the house I would have saved them. There's no question. That was all that mattered.

[00:02:10]>> 30 miles away this tornado sparked power flashes as it ripped across a road in Mount Rose.

[00:02:15]>> There's homes that are damaged over here. I see roofs off of homes down here.

[00:02:19]>> And in Majune yet another twister flipped over tractor trailers on an interstate.

[00:02:27]I'm certainly grateful that we didn't have any fatalities reported yet. Some injuries yes and obviously a big toll on some some of the properties here. As far as the number of reported turns we talked about that. We are looking at the next batch coming through with the watches and warnings that are posted right now for the Mid-Atlantic and the 20 to watch that's about to expire across parts of Kentucky. This all pushes to the east and northeast will get it and I-95 will get it later this afternoon through tonight potentially severe weather there yet through New England too and then also across the south what's left of our Arthur will continue to bring heavy rain to Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. So we're not quite done with either of these two systems.

[00:03:10]By Saturday we'll be in better shape but the next 24 36 hours guys will continue to be a little bit on the rough side.

[00:03:16]Hang in there.

[00:03:17]>> All right Rob really appreciate you keeping us updated.