In the wake of a powerful storm system that swept through areas south of Chicago, both authorities and residents were engaged in evaluating the destruction left behind. The fierce weather, which struck on Thursday, left approximately 380,000 households without electricity across Illinois and Indiana, while also causing significant disruptions to air travel.
Remarkably, there have been no immediate reports of fatalities or severe injuries resulting from the storms.
Merrillville, Indiana, situated about 33 miles southeast of Chicago, bore the brunt of the tempest. The town faced extensive destruction, with homes and other structures severely damaged, trees and power lines felled, and a portion of a high school’s roof torn away.
Local officials, supported by multiple regional agencies, took to social media to announce their collaborative efforts with first responders in searching and assessing the affected areas. Through the night, crews diligently worked to clear blocked roads.
The National Weather Service confirmed that at least two other tornadoes struck areas around Streator, Illinois, and Hebron, Indiana. Images and videos shared on social media depicted scenes of devastation akin to those in Merrillville. In the coming days, the Weather Service plans to conduct thorough surveys to determine the exact number of tornadoes that touched down in the region.
In Streator, a manufacturing and farm city about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, emergency crews were also inspecting the damage. A reunification center for displaced residents was set up in its city hall and the Red Cross opened a shelter.
Streator Mayor Tara Bedei said there were no reported deaths. “We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement.
First responders also worked through the night in Hebron, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, officials said in a Facebook post.
Jennifer Hall was in her garage in Elkhart, Indiana, as the winds and rain picked up Thursday evening. Suddenly, she said, she heard a loud crash and discovered a tree limb had gone through the roof of her rental home. She used buckets to catch the rain coming in from the hole.
“I’m just nervous because it’s just been one thing after another,” said Hall, explaining she just had surgery and her husband is out of town.
About 235,000 homes and businesses were without power in Illinois, including 144,000 in Cook County, home to Chicago, according to poweroutage.us. Another 144,000 customers were in the dark in Indiana.
The storms delayed or halted flights at airports in some cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York on Thursday. Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity. On Friday morning, 15 flights were canceled and about two dozen delayed at Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International airports, a small percentage of total flights, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.
The tornadoes came after severe storms swept through the Midwest on Wednesday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and canceling flights.
In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park Wednesday after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from those storms.
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