Severe Weather Events Cause Widespread Damage, Power Outages, and Fatalities Across the Midwest

A week of relentless, severe weather across the Midwest left a trail of destruction, fatalities, and record-breaking phenomena in its wake.

A series of severe weather events, including tornadoes, straight-line winds, and record-breaking hail, impacted the Midwest from Tuesday through Saturday, causing widespread damage, power outages, and fatalities. The events affected multiple states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Texas, over several days.

Summary of Reported Fatalities and Injuries

• Lake Village, Indiana (Tuesday): Two people, identified as an elderly couple, died after a tornado struck their home. Officials reported fewer than 10 individuals sustained serious injuries in the Lake Village area.
• Kankakee, Illinois (Tuesday): Seven to nine people were reported injured in Kankakee County. No fatalities were reported in Illinois.
• Lena, Illinois (Friday/Saturday): No deaths or serious injuries were reported in Stephenson County following a storm that affected the village of Lena.
• Effingham, Illinois (Wednesday): The Effingham Fire Department reported only minor, non-life-threatening injuries.

Chronological Event Breakdown

A supercell thunderstorm, originating near Pontiac, Illinois, reportedly spawned at least four tornadoes in Pontiac, Kankakee County (Illinois), and Lake Village and Wheatfield (Indiana).

• The NWS confirmed an EF-3 tornado with 115-mph winds tracked for nearly 40 miles, impacting Aroma Park, Illinois, for approximately 90 minutes.
• A tornado was observed near the Kankakee fairgrounds, moving northeast into Aroma Park. Other tornadoes were confirmed in Streator, Illinois, and Northwest Indiana.
• Record Hail: Kankakee, Illinois, reported a six-inch diameter hailstone, which the NWS assessed as a potential state record for Illinois. Hail ranging from 2 to 6 inches was reported in the region.

Impact:

• Kankakee County: Extensive damage to homes and businesses was reported. Significant damage was noted at Kankakee Community College, Bishop McNamara Catholic School, and Tholens’ Garden Center.
• Aroma Park: A two-story barn was leveled, a concrete silo destroyed, and trees and power lines were downed.
• Indiana: In Newton County, approximately 70 power poles were affected. A Family Dollar store and a gas station in Lake Village were destroyed.

Power Outages: ComEd reported around 27,000 customers impacted in Illinois; NIPSCO reported issues for over 2,500 customers in Indiana.

Emergency Response: Shelters were established at North Newton High School (Indiana) and Kankakee Community College (Illinois). Illinois Governor JB Pritzker stated his administration was providing support.

A storm system, classified as a derecho by the NWS, moved through the Chicago area in the afternoon, producing intense thunderstorms. Wind gusts exceeded 70 mph (with a gust of 85 mph recorded near Navy Pier). Much of the damage was attributed to micro-bursts of wind. Additional storms were reported in Charleston, Effingham, and other communities in central Illinois.

Impact:

• Chicago: Over 5,000 reports of downed trees and storm-related hazards were received. Windows and patio furniture fell from high-rises.
• Charleston, IL: A city-wide state of emergency was declared. Downed trees, power lines, and hail up to 2.75 inches in diameter were reported.
• Effingham, IL: Damaged buildings, trailers, and infrastructure were reported.
• Blue Mound, IL: Meridian Elementary School sustained heavy damage to its roof.

Power Outages: At peak, approximately 480,000 customers lost power across the region. ComEd reported nearly 180,000 customers in Chicago lost power, with about 140,000 still without service region-wide as of Thursday afternoon.

A second round of severe storms impacted the Chicago area, prompting widespread warnings.

Warnings Issued:

• Tornado Watches were issued for multiple counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin until 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Tornado Warnings were issued for Ford, Iroquois, Grundy, Kankakee, Kendall, Livingston, LaSalle, and Will counties.
• A Flood Watch was issued for the entire Chicago area and was in effect through 11 p.m. Thursday.

Impact:

• Streator, IL: A tornado swept through the southern part of the town, demolishing some homes and damaging others. A state of emergency was declared.
• Merrillville, IN: Andrean High School sustained damage to its roof and windows.
• Chicago: Radar indicated winds up to 100 mph on the city's South Side. A roof was possibly torn off Saint Nicholas of Tolentine School in the West Lawn neighborhood.
• Joliet, Naperville, and Bartlett, IL: Tornadoes were confirmed in these areas.

Power Outages: ComEd reported over 170,000 customers without power early Friday morning. NIPSCO reported more than 74,000 customers without power in Northwest Indiana.

Transportation Disruptions:

• O'Hare International Airport: A ground stop was implemented until 10:45 p.m. Over 600 flights were canceled in 24 hours, with delays of nearly 90 minutes.
• Midway Airport: Over 30 cancellations, with delays of about 20 minutes.
• South Shore Line: Service was disrupted between South Bend and Michigan City.

Event Cancellations: A Mumford & Sons concert, a Jimmy Eat World show, and the opening day of the Puerto Rican Festival were canceled or postponed.

A burst of destructive winds and reported tornadoes moved through parts of the Upper Midwest.

Impact:

• Lena, IL (Stephenson County): A tornado was reported, damaging a high school and an elementary school while students were inside. No loss of life or serious injury was reported.
• Kronenwetter and Ringle, WI: A reported tornado damaged homes.
• Marion Township, MN: At least 30 homes were damaged.
• Harpers Ferry, IA: A confirmed tornado was reported.

Power Outages: ComEd reported over 4,600 active outages affecting about 132,000 customers on Friday.

NWS Assessment: The NWS stated it would conduct surveys of affected areas over the weekend to determine the number and strength of tornadoes.

Broader Context and Forecast

• More than 125 million Americans were under severe weather advisories at various points during the week.
• A Level 4 risk for severe weather was issued over parts of the area by the Storm Prediction Center.
• The NWS warned that severe storms could bring tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail from the southern Plains to the southern Great Lakes region.
• States from Oklahoma to Michigan were under tornado watches.
• Flood warnings were issued along rivers in Illinois and Indiana, including the Des Plaines and Fox rivers.

Safety Information and Recovery

• Officials advised the public to avoid downed power lines and assume they are live. ComEd provided contact information for reporting outages.
• The American Red Cross and other local organizations, such as the Fun Hub and Georgie's Closet, set up shelters and provided meals, clothing, and water to affected residents and first responders.
• ComEd stated it was staging crews to respond to outages and estimated that 80% of power would be restored by 11 p.m. Saturday, though full restoration in some areas, such as Kankakee County, was expected to take several days.