CHICAGO (WLS) – A thunderstorm from a supercell tore through the Chicago area on Monday night, leaving a trail of wind damage that stretches from the far northwestern suburbs to Indiana.
The storm traveled more than 100 miles, hitting the northwestern suburbs before diving south, roaring through the city and maintaining its strength as it passed through northwest Indiana.
The storm has sparked tornado warnings in northern Illinois and Indiana. Widespread wind damage has been reported, but no tornado landing has been confirmed so far.
The National Weather Service sent a research team to the Streamwood / Schaumburg / Roselle area on Tuesday morning to investigate two areas with potential tornado damage. They will also monitor damage in the Westchester / Bellwood / Maywood areas.
In the western suburb of Belwood, village officials said a micro-explosion tore off the roof of a high-rise apartment building near 24th Street and Washington Boulevard. It happened around 7 pm, just as the families were sitting down to dinner.
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“We just heard people shouting that the roof has been taken down, get out, get out,” said Larhonda Neal.
Village officials said a young woman was taken to hospital after being hit by falling debris, but is expected to be well.
“It was a lady on the third floor screaming; she needed help and her roof collapsed, “said Ivoryana resident Neil.
Isaiah Griffith, a second-floor resident, heard the woman’s screams and ran to the third floor to help. When he arrived in her ward, he saw electric sparks.
“I couldn’t seem to explain, it seemed to be spreading everywhere,” he said. “It was horrible; it was horrible.”
The Red Cross is organized at Bellwood Village Hall to help all residents find a place to stay.
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“It could have been worse, so I just have to thank God,” said Ivoryana Neil.
Residents describe what they heard, as this roof was torn off, saying “we heard a whistle,” “I heard thunder; it was like a boom, “” then we heard a loud bang, like a boom, as if something had broken. “
“I thought our ceiling was going to fail because there was a lot of water coming in,” said Ivoryana Neil.
Mayor Andre Harvey said a building inspector would be there on Tuesday morning to assess the structure, adding that no one was seriously injured.
“So, once we make sure it’s structurally stable, we’ll probably accompany the residents to pick up their belongings so they can move to other places to stay,” he said.
Families stop by to take some of their belongings, as the building is uninhabitable.
“It’s just mistrust, like you can see the sky from my living room and my bedroom,” said Sheila Lily.
She was at work when her 18-year-old son called her hysterical.
“It was like ‘the ceiling, the ceiling fell.’ I say to myself, “Well, what do you mean the ceiling fell?” So he showed me FaceTime and he showed it to me, and I just quit my job and came right here, “Lily said.
The mayor said repairs to the roof of the building could take months.
Village Hall doubles as a cooling center for those who need it.
Miguel Martinez’s home in Belwood was hit by a huge tree that broke in half and dug a hole in the roof while his family was in the living room.
“It could have been worse. I mean, I’m just watching, especially because we were all in the living room, so it could be really bad, “he said.
Mayor Harvey said the whole village was under some damage to the trees.
“So our street department and the Public Affairs Department were out all night clearing the streets; as I said, we have residents who actually helped each other clear the streets, ”Harvey said.
In the northwestern suburbs, one of Roselle’s oldest trees gave way to sudden strong winds. Favorable direction spared the mayor’s own home.
“I was in Village Hall, I got a lot of calls from my wife,” said Mayor David Pilesky. “She was in our basement with our 1-year-old. We’re just grateful she fell out of the house.”
The spontaneous cleaning crew flew away as soon as it was safe to go outside.
“I live two houses downstairs; that’s what the neighbors do, “said Joe Keitlinger. “Roselle, they take care of each other.
In northern Chicago, the storm damaged Toyota’s office in Lincoln Park. No casualties were reported.
The passengers hid while 84 mph winds blew in front of O’Hare International Airport and all incoming and outgoing flights stopped. Crowds of asylum seekers climbed to the lowest level of the airport.
And with good reason. Strong winds overturned several planes at the nearby Schaumburg Regional Airport. And a single bolt of lightning set fire to a home in the northern suburbs of Northbrook.
Several Metra lines have temporarily suspended service as the storm broke.
On Tuesday morning, the BNSF trains numbered 1224, 1226, 1221 and 1254 will not run due to the prolonged effects of Monday night’s storm.
There were debris on the rails after the storm, a Metra spokesman said, and the rails needed to be inspected, leading to long delays and hours for the conductors.
Workers were also trying to get one side of the Bellwood Metra to shut down after a severe flood.
Even the Brookfield Zoo has been hit by the storm: it will not open until 1pm on Tuesday as workers clean up debris, including downed trees.
In a statement, the zoo said its area had suffered significant damage and parts of the site may not have opened on Tuesday.
And at 10:30 a.m., ComEd reported that 36,000 were without electricity due to the storm, down from a height of 125,000.
ComEd said workers are wandering, mostly in the northern and northwestern suburbs and the city, trying to restore electricity and order before the hot temperatures make the task unbearable.
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The Roselle substation was also damaged.
Chicagoans who need to report a power outage or power line failure should contact ComEd at 800-334-7661.
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For large, fallen branches or downed trees that block a public road, residents should call 311 and report a “Tree Emergency.” Chicagoans must visit 311.chicago.gov to report water in their basement, stagnant water on their street, remnants of trees and traffic lights. Residents are also encouraged to download the CHI 311 app on the App Store or Google Play to make 311 reports.
As the warm front that set off the storm rises to the north, temperatures will rise until the 1990s on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
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