CHICAGO — In the wake of intense thunderstorms that swept through Chicago on Wednesday, leaving a trail of downed trees and widespread power outages, residents are bracing for yet another bout of severe weather on Thursday.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed much of the region under a Level 4 risk for severe storms, highlighting the potential for significant impacts. Meanwhile, Northwest Indiana and certain areas of Kankakee County are facing a Level 3 risk.
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According to ABC7 Accuweather Meteorologist Tracy Butler, Thursday will kick off with warm and humid conditions lasting until around 11 a.m., providing a hint of the unsettled weather to come.
Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., there is a possibility of isolated storms packing strong winds, as noted by Butler.
The most severe weather threat is expected to occur from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring fierce winds, substantial hail, and the looming possibility of tornadoes. Additionally, the area could receive over an inch of rain, Butler warned.
Thursday’s stormy forecast comes after thunderstorms caused significant damage across the area Wednesday.
As of 10:48 a.m., 158,324 ComEd customers were impacted by power outages.
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Power outage has led to the temporary closure of the Markham Courthouse. All criminal cases scheduled for initial appearance and EM violations of conditions of release will be heard at the Fifth Municipal District Courthouse in Brigeview. All other matters will be continued until a later date.
The Cook County Circuit Court has also ordered all cases at 727 E. 111th Street in Chicago to be continued due to a power outage.
The storms led to an obstruction on the CTA Yellow Line tracks, suspending service Thursday morning. Service resumed shortly before 8 a.m.
Southwest suburban Stickney is among the hardest hit areas with storm damage Thursday morning.
Over in Stickney, restoration crews also have their hands full as they work to protect a condo building whose roof was partially peeled off.
Workers could be seen on the roof Thursday morning, as they cleared debris and loose bricks.
Crews are racing against the clock as more storms are expected Thursday.
“Well additional water damage inside the units is one concern, but I think an additional concern that we have is that tarps are not permanent you know roofing material and the tarps can ger blown over, which may cause an additional hazard,” Stickney Village Building Inspector Josh Brniak said.
One of two condo buildings is uninhabitable. Approximately 30 people are without a home at the Ridgewood Condominiums.
Village officials said residents stayed with family members overnight and Red Cross was not needed. It could be weeks, until people will be allowed to safely return.
“So obviously the building can be fixed, but luckily we didn’t lose anybody yesterday,” Jasmine Scott, resident and association president, said.
In Stickney, village officials say they are also dealing with power outages at their main facilities including the police and fire department, and public works department. Some of them are on generators.
There was damage on Chicago’s Northwest Side. A large tree snapped and blocked a road.
The storms also left a trail of destruction in McKinley Park.
Crews chopped up a large tree that smashed parked cars after strong storms swept through as people brace for another round of severe weather.
City crews brought saws and heavy machinery to break up a massive tree that was uprooted in McKinley Park following strong winds. Parked cars were left smashed on 34th Street and Paulina Avenue.
Santiago Pulido’s car was totaled. He said he’s lucky he wasn’t in his car when the tree came crashing down near 34th Street and Paulina Avenue.
Pulido said this has left him without his only means of transportation to and from work.
“I feel, I feel, I feel very, very, very, very sad,” Pulido said. “I go into my house when I hear the tree, they fall – boom…and then I come back and I see my car, ‘Oh my goodness! Oh no this is not good. My car is broken on the street.’”
Others who live on the block weren’t spared.
Just a few houses down from where the tree crushed the cars, a woman came home to find another tree on the same block had crashed into her and her neighbor’s home – taking out several windows and damaging the house.
Some neighbors said before the storm, they had expressed concerns about overgrown trees and clogged drains.
Meanwhile, Santiago Pulido, the man whose car got crushed is hoping for some help. He said he doesn’t have the money to buy another one.
Meanwhile, a tree landed on a house in Dolton. The tree uprooted from the ground before crashing down on a home, caving in the roof with rain water left gushing inside during the storm.
The tree fell at 152nd and King Drive in south suburban Dolton. Thankfully, ABC7 was told no one was hurt.
The homeowner, Jamila Bynum, says her family has lived in this home for more than 20 years, and for the past two years, she says her family complained to the village about the tree, saying it was dead.
She told ABC7 she came home early from work because of the thunderstorm and though she heard a noise, she didn’t yet know a tree had actually fallen on her house.
To her surprise, an another tree happened to fall onto Bynum’s neighbor’s home just up the street. Neighbors told ABC7 that no one was home at the time.
As for Bynum’s home, firefighters did come out to look at the damage, while she says she’s deciding on whether to stay there or stay with relatives until repairs are made.
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