Rich Hein/Sun-Times
A Naperville resident on Hedg Court had just finished reading his book and turned off his bedroom light at 11:01 p.m. when Sunday’s tornado hit at 11:03 p.m. He didn’t hear any warning sirens or receive any cellphone notifications about the storm.
“All of a sudden, I hear this high wind and then a loud roar,” said Michel Laurent, who has lived in Naperville 18 years. “The house was shaking. I knew right there that this was not your normal thunderstorm. I went to the window, which was not a wise thing to do, when I saw the tree and the lightning surge. It was almost like a black-and-white silver screen in my mind.”