A number of areas were placed under Tornado Watch just after 6 p. m including Livingston, Ford, Iroquois, Will, Kakakee, Grundy and Kendall counties in IL and Benton, Newton, Jasper, Porter and Lake counties in Indiana. The forecast also referred to wind gusts and severe weather conditions are expected in Chicago late this evening.
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Powerful storms threatened to bring hurricane-force winds, tornadoes and golf ball-sized hail to parts of the Midwest on Wednesday, including the Chicago area.
The Storm Prediction Center predicted high possibilities of having a significant tornado in Chicago.
There were no reported fatalities or injures from the single weather system, which produced heavy rains and winds approaching 60 miles per hour, he said.
LaSalle County residents were immediately advised to look for shelter as the storm moved to the east at about 8:30 p.m. Authorities are warning people to avoid the area. A nearby trailer park also sustained damage, with reports of several people being entrapped during the night.
“Thank God for technology, because the word got out and that saved a lot of people”, said Livingston County Sheriff Tony Childress.
The National Weather Service in Romeoville said on its website at least four tornadoes touched down in its coverage area.
Chicago’s worldwide airports delayed and canceled flights.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said 325 flights in and out of O’Hare International Airport were cancelled and 90-minute delays were reported.
Travelers were already seeing an impact by early afternoon with cancelations and delays at both of Chicago’s worldwide airports. The agency argued that the measure was taken due to threatening thunderstorms in the area.
“The worst of the storm damage appears to be near Seneca and Pontiac, about 100 miles southwest of Chicago”.
Commonwealth Edison spokesman Anita Martinez said about 15,000 customers remained without power in northern Illinois Wednesday night. The tornado is one of four confirmed touchdowns in northern IL.
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Another EF1 tornado with winds estimated at 95 mph was reported south of Zim in central St. Louis County leaving a path 25 yards wide and 7.8 miles long.
