Photos: Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 suffers damage after derecho, EF-1 tornado

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Derecho rips roof off Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66

The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 sustained significant damage in Joliet due to the derecho on Monday. Operations are temporarily shut down as efforts are underway to clean up the aftermath. Ron Romero, the museum's CEO and founder, provided the latest update on the storm cleanup in an interview with FOX Weather.

JOLIET, Ill. – A deadly derecho that swept through parts of the Midwest earlier this week caused major damage in parts of Illinois, including an iconic museum in the Chicago suburbs. 

Winds reached over 100 mph in some areas and resulted in two tornadoes in Joliet, which is the home of the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66.

The museum suffered extensive damage from an EF-1 tornado spawned from the derecho, forcing it to shut down operations for the time being while they work to clean up the destruction. 

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The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 sustained significant damage in Joliet due to the derecho on Monday.

(Illinois Rock & Roll Museum)

Ron Romero, the museum's CEO and founder, says he is extremely grateful no one was injured during the disaster. The tornado tore the roof off a building across the street, then tossed the debris into the museum's building.

"Their roof came off of their place and as a projectile hit our building," he said during an interview with FOX Weather. "We were hit hard." 

Romero expressed relief when reporting that "Gigantar," the 24-foot guitar on the front of the building, remained completely untouched. Additionally, all artifacts and exhibits were unharmed and did not sustain any damage.

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Romero purchased the building in 2019 and has been renovating it ever since. The first floor is furnished with exhibits and a gift shop, while the second floor's progress has been halted due to the tornado damage. The third floor, which hasn't been renovated yet, suffered water damage from the roof.

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"It's going to take some time," Romero said. "We'll probably know better by next week when we'll be able to open again."

The derecho ended up claiming two lives in the region. One person died after a tree fell on a home in Cedar Lake, Indiana and an elderly couple drowned in floodwaters in Elsah, Illinois, while awaiting help.