Southwestern Illinois tornado confirmed

ST. LOUIS -- The National Weather Service confirms that at least one tornado barreled Friday night through portions of southwestern Illinois as part of a storm that caused no serious injuries.

The weather service's Jayson Gosselin says the twister that affected the Roxana area in Madison County, northeast of St. Louis, was an EF3, which has winds between 136 and 165 mph. A tornado of that magnitude also has been confirmed to have hit Missouri's St. Charles County.

Gosselin says crews assessing damage in Macoupin County confirmed that was also caused by a tornado, an EF2 with 115 mph winds. Damage included a collapsed gymnasium roof at a Gillespie high school.

Electric utility Ameren Illinois says 15,000 homes and businesses are still without power from St. Louis' Illinois suburbs to the Champaign area.

-- Associated Press