On Monday evening, a supercell thunderstorm tore across the Chicago area, leaving a trail of wind damage that ran from the very far northwest suburbs all the way to Indiana.
Over a hundred miles were covered by the storm before it turned south, screaming through the city, and keeping its ferocity as it barreled across northwest Indiana. The storm had traveled over 100 miles before it hit the northwest suburbs.
Warnings of possible tornadoes were issued for the entirety of northern Illinois and Indiana as a result of the storm. There have been reports of widespread damage caused by the wind, however, there have been no confirmed tornado touchdowns as of yet.
The National Weather Service will dispatch a survey team to the Streamwood, Schaumburg, and Roselle areas on Tuesday morning in order to assess two places that may have been damaged by a tornado. In addition to that, they will investigate the damage in the areas of Westchester, Bellwood, and Maywood.
Village officials in the west suburban community of Bellwood reported that a microburst tore the roof off of a multi-unit apartment complex near the intersection of 24th Street and Washington Boulevard. It occurred around 7 o’clock in the evening, just as families were beginning to have dinner.
SEE ALSO: As a heat wave sweeps into the area, local officials are urging residents to take precautions.
Larhonda Neal, a local resident, stated that they had just heard individuals yelling that the roof was off and that everyone should get out immediately.
Officials from the village have stated that one of its residents, a young woman, was brought to the hospital after being struck by falling debris, but that she is expected to make a full recovery.
Ivoryana Neal, a resident of the building, described hearing a woman on the third level begging for assistance before the roof collapsed on top of her.
Isaiah Griffith, a resident of the second level, overheard the woman screaming and immediately raced up to the third floor to assist her. After arriving at her apartment, he noticed that there were electrical sparks.
He stated, “I can’t explain it, but it seemed like it was spreading all around.” “It appeared like it was spreading all over,” “It was terrible, it really was,” the speaker repeated.
The local chapter of the American Red Cross has set up shop at the Bellwood Village Hall in order to provide assistance to locals who are looking for a place to sleep.
WATCH as trees are brought down by a supercell storm in Roselle
Ivoryana Neal expressed her gratitude to God by stating, “It could have been worse, so I just have to thank God.”
Residents recounted what they heard while the roof was being pulled off, stating things like, “then we heard a big pop, like boom, like something collapsed,” “we heard a whistling sound,” and “I heard the thunderclap; it was like boom.”
Ivoryana Neal stated that she feared that their ceiling would collapse due to the large amount of water that was entering their home.
A building inspector will be there on Tuesday morning to evaluate the structure, according to the mayor’s statement.
According to the mayor, there were no significant injuries reported.
The rapid gusts of wind brought down one of the oldest trees in the Roselle area, which was located in the northwest suburbs. The home of the mayor of the hamlet was saved because of a fortunate wind direction.
The Village Mayor, David Pileski, stated that while he was at Village Hall, he received numerous phone calls from his wife. “She was with our infant of one year old when she was found in our basement. We should just count ourselves lucky that it didn’t hit the house.”
As soon as it was deemed secure to venture outside, the impromptu cleanup crew made its way over.
Joe Kightlinger shared his thoughts by stating, “I live two homes down; that’s what neighbors do.” “Roselle, you can count on them to look out for one another.
The storm caused damage to a Toyota dealership in Lincoln Park, which is located on the North Side of Chicago. There were no reports of anyone being hurt.
As gusts of up to 84 miles per hour howled outside O’Hare International Airport, passengers sought shelter as the airport came to a complete standstill, both for incoming and leaving flights. Huge crowds of individuals who were seeking refuge made their way down to the lowest level of the airport.
And there’s a good explanation for that. The strong winds caused numerous planes to crash at the Schaumburg Regional Airport, which is located close by. And a single bolt of lightning was responsible for starting a fire at a residence in the north suburban community of Northbrook.
As the storm moved through, several Metra lines were forced to briefly cease their services.
Because of the aftereffects of the storm that occurred on Monday night, BNSF trains numbers 1224, 1226, 1221, and 1254 will not operate on Tuesday morning.
A spokesman for Metra stated that there was debris on the tracks following the storm and that the tracks needed to be examined. As a result, there were significant delays, and conductors had to work for hours.
Even the Brookfield Zoo had to close because of the storm, and it will not reopen until Tuesday at one o’clock because employees need to clear up the debris, which includes fallen trees.
The zoo said in a statement that its grounds had incurred substantial damage and that it was possible that some portions of the facility might not be open on Tuesday.
And as of 10:30 in the morning, ComEd stated that 36,000 are still without power as a result of the storm, which is a significant decrease from the peak of 125,000.
ComEd reported that personnel is scouring the area, focusing mostly on the city’s north and northwest suburbs as well as the city itself, in an effort to restore electricity and order before the oppressive heat makes the endeavor impossible to bear.
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In addition, a substation in Roselle sustained damage.
Call ComEd at the following number: 800-334-7661 if you are a Chicago resident who needs to report a power outage or a fallen power line.
WATCH as ComEd works to restore power following the storm and in advance of the heat wave
Residents are encouraged to dial 311 and report a “Tree Emergency” if huge branches or entire trees have fallen to the ground and are obstructing a public pathway. Residents of Chicago who see water in their basements, standing water on their streets, tree debris, or malfunctioning traffic lights should use the 311.chicago.gov website. In order to submit a 311 request, locals are likewise advised to get the CHI 311 app, which can be found in the App Store or Google Play.
Temperatures will rise well into the 90s on both Tuesday and Wednesday as the warm front that sparked the storm moves further north.
