1990 Plainfield, Joliet, Crest Hill Tornado: Reflections on a Storm

A devastating EF-5 tornado ripped through Plainfield, Joliet and Crest Hill the afternoon of August 28, 1990 killing 29 people, seriously wounding over 300 and causing over 165 million dollars’ worth of damage. Tina discusses the cause of the storm, how it impacted residents, and how these communities came together to rebuild and move on in the face of tragedy. 

Tina Beaird, owner of Tamarack Genealogy, is a genealogy & local history librarian at a mid-sized Chicagoland public library. She holds a Masters of Library and Information Science degree with a specialization in Archives/Preservation from Dominican University in River Forest, IL. Tina has won multiple research and digitization grants over the last decade to preserve and digitize historic documents and photographs.