Tornadoes Ravage Chicago Area, Leaving Trail of DamageTornadoes Ravage Chicago Area, Leaving Trail of Damage Multiple tornadoes were reported as severe thunderstorms swept across the Chicago area on Monday night, prompting widespread damage and power outages. The storms moved from west to east, bringing with them extremely high winds and torrential rain. Tornadoes were confirmed near Sugar Grove, Aurora, Oswego, Plainfield, and Naperville. The National Weather Service labeled the storm a series of “devastating thunderstorms,” while the NBC 5 Storm Team described it as an “exceptionally active night.” Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes of the NBC 5 Storm Team stated, “It’s been years since we’ve seen anything like this.” The Chicago Fire Department responded to numerous reports of collapsed porches and fallen trees, including an entire block of trees that fell near 70th Street and Campbell. In Joliet, multiple reports of downed power lines were received, partially or completely blocking several roads. The storms caused widespread power outages, with hundreds of thousands of people losing electricity. O’Hare International Airport was shut down due to a tornado, grounding all flights until at least 10:30 p.m. Metra trains also experienced cancellations due to high wind warnings. The storm is the second consecutive day of severe weather in the area, following storms reported on Sunday night. Authorities urge residents to remain alert and take precautions to stay safe.
“Dozens of tornadoes” were reported as storms in the Chicago area produced “multiple tornadoes at once” Monday night.
The storms moved from west to east across the area, and tornadoes were reported and reported on radar in several suburbs. The extreme weather prompted warnings in all counties surrounding Chicago.
The National Weather Service called the storm a series of “devastating thunderstorms,” while the NBC 5 Storm Team called it an “exceptionally active night.”
“It’s been years and years since we’ve seen anything like this,” said Kevin Jeanes, a meteorologist with the NBC 5 Storm Team.
A “radar confirmed” tornado was reported near Sugar Grove and was moving toward Aurora at 9 p.m., NWS said. Another was confirmed shortly after near Oswego and was moving east toward Plainfield and southern Naperville.
Numerous other tornadoes were reported as the storms continued. According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, most of the tornadoes transitioned to a “shower” around 10:30 p.m.
The series of ‘devastating’ storms left a trail of damage.
The Chicago Fire Department said they responded to “multiple” reports of collapsed porches and fallen trees.
According to the department, an entire block of trees fell near 70th Street and Campbell.
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We have multiple locations with live power lines on the ground. Do not go to areas where the power is out and trees are down. There may be live power on the wet ground. ComEd is responding throughout the city.
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) July 16, 2024
In Joliet, there were multiple reports of downed power lines across the city and several roads were partially or completely blocked by trees or fallen branches, police said.
Reports of fallen trees came in from several other suburbs.
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was shut down. All flights to the airport were grounded until at least 10:30 p.m. “due to a tornado.” Trains on several Metra lines were canceled “due to high wind warnings.”
Hundreds of thousands of people were without power in the region at 10 p.m.
The storms are the second consecutive day of severe weather in the area, with several storms reported in Chicago on Sunday night.
