A team from the National Weather Service is scheduled to assess the aftermath of a severe storm that struck northeast Illinois on Thursday. Suspected tornadoes unleashed powerful winds, causing significant damage to buildings, uprooting trees, and forcing residents to seek shelter as sirens blared in warning.
On Wednesday evening, the weather service issued an alert confirming a tornado on the ground near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Passengers at the airport took cover, resulting in numerous flight disruptions, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. Shortly afterward, the weather service declared that the Chicago forecast area was no longer under a tornado warning.
As the storm progressed, it moved into Michigan and then traversed through the state before reaching Canada early Thursday. Tornado watches that were in effect for parts of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio had all expired.
One resident, Ty Carr, who resided at the Skyline Motel in McCook, Illinois, recounted how a tornado tore off the roof, causing chaos. Holding a toddler, Carr expressed his disbelief at the speed and intensity of the storm, describing the unfamiliar sounds of crackling and howling winds.
Rajan Patel, whose family owns the motel, spoke about their devastating loss. Arriving in the Chicago area in the 1990s with little, the Patel family saw their dreams shattered as their motel suffered severe damage. Overwhelmed, Patel expressed uncertainty about how they could recover from such a setback.
The National Weather Service shared a map on social media, indicating several areas where tornadoes were suspected to have touched down. These tornadoes were the result of rotating thunderstorms known as supercells. A survey team will evaluate the damage on Thursday to determine the official count of tornadoes, their paths, and intensity ratings.
In the suburb of Countryside, Ill., Hillary Timpe and her husband, Greg Timpe, recounted how their neighborhood had been hit by the tornado, causing damage to homes but fortunately no injuries. Additionally, their 100-year-old tree was uprooted by the powerful winds. The couple described the urgency with which they sought shelter in their basement as the storm rapidly intensified.
Television footage showed hundreds of people taking refuge in an O’Hare concourse, seeking safety from the storm. Flight disruptions were extensive, with 173 departures canceled and over 500 flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
Kevin Bargnes, the director of communications for O’Hare and Chicago Midway International Airport, confirmed that neither airport sustained any damage during the storm.
Videos shared on Twitter by Lynn Becker, a longtime Chicago resident, captured the blaring tornado sirens across the city’s iconic skyline. Becker expressed the limited options available to residents in tall buildings and the necessity of seeking shelter in the core of the structure.
According to the weather service, an unidentified emergency manager reported a roof being blown off in Huntley, located in McHenry County northwest of Chicago. Huntley Battalion Chief Mike Pierce confirmed the response of firefighters and emergency services to deal with downed power lines, trees, and branches. Power outages were reported, primarily affecting two apartment buildings.
Although more than 10,000 customers experienced power outages in the region, most of the power was restored by Thursday morning, as reported by poweroutage.us.
You can also read: Watch As Los Angeles Deputy Punches Mother Holding Baby
In southern Michigan, a joint team from the weather service and local emergency management will investigate the potential tornado damage reported near the village of Colon on Wednesday night. The survey results, outlining the extent of the damage, will be available later on Thursday, according to Kyle Brown, a meteorologist from the weather service’s Syracuse, Indiana office.
