Severe storms swept across the Midwest from Monday night into Tuesday morning, leaving widespread devastation and more than half a million people without power.
The most significant impact was felt in Illinois, where nearly 330,000 customers lost electricity. Indiana and Iowa also faced substantial outages, with 188,000 and 20,000 customers affected, respectively.
The National Weather Service in Chicago reported multiple simultaneous tornadoes, confirming one in Des Moines, Iowa. Chicago faced severe flooding, particularly on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, following a second storm late Monday.
At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, a ground stop was ordered due to the intense weather, with reports of power flashes likely caused by tornado activity.
Tornadoes touch down across Illinois, leaving behind damaged power lines and widespread outages.Local trains were canceled, and meteorologists noted that the severity of these storms has not been seen in years. Tornadoes had already struck Chicago on Sunday, an infrequent occurrence with only six previously recorded in the past 70 years.
The Chicago Fire Department reported several downed power lines, warning residents to avoid them as they may electrify wet ground.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported. Tornadoes were also confirmed in Oswego and Sugar Grove, both west of Chicago.
As the storms move southward into the central Plains and the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, the region braces for further severe weather. This storm system results from a collision between a Canadian cool air mass and a heat dome that has gripped much of the Lower 48 states.
Relief is on the horizon, with cooler, more pleasant weather expected to spread across the northern Plains by Wednesday. Meanwhile, Texas continues to recover from Hurricane Beryl, with nearly 150,000 still without power in the Greater Houston area.