Deadly Tornado Tears Through Northern Illinois

Instagram user barrie_bear18 posted this photo April 9, 2015, writing, "So this happened. Tornado touched down near Rochelle #tornado #swensonsweeties #weather

  At least one person died and heavy damage was reported after a large tornado swept through northern Illinois, authorities said.

One death was reported in Fairdale, which is located in the north-central part of the state, Illinois EMA spokesperson Patti Thompson said. While numerous buildings in Fairdale were destroyed, the extent of the damage won't be known until Friday morning, Thompson said.

Damage was also reported in Hillcrest, Illinois, about 80 miles west of Chicago.

Emergency responders rescued 12 people from a restaurant in nearby Rochelle, Illinois, where the roof collapsed, said Lynn-Scott Rock Asst. Fire Chief Richard Mott. The people who were trapped by the collapsed roof suffered minor injuries, he said.

The strong system brought hail and damaging winds to the Midwest and Plains as it moved east Thursday night.

The system forced the cancellation of over 800 flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and dozens more at Midway International Airport.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.