Fierce storms with winds of more than 80 miles per hour tore down trees in many settlements and even tore off the roof of an apartment building in the suburbs while tearing apart Monday night.
The winds blew many trees, made travel nearly impossible for tens of thousands for a while, and led to power outages affecting more than 70,000 ComEd customers.
The storm was particularly severe for tenants of a three-story apartment building on 24th Avenue and Washington Boulevard.
Many residents say they first heard hail and strong winds, then seconds later noticed that part of the roof had come off. The tenants hurried out of the building until the fire department arrived to help.
At least 18 families have been displaced, according to Andrew Harvey, mayor of Belwood. A resident was hit by debris, but it was expected to be fine.
Thousands of passengers through the vast airport were told to seek shelter as a precaution against Monday’s severe storms. Alex Maragos of NBC 5 has the story.
More damage was done down the street, where some found their cars hit by the storm.
“I’m glad no one was sitting in it,” said Naisha Ellis, a resident whose car was damaged.
With the onset of storms, operations were halted at O’Hare International Airport. Thousands of passengers in the sprawling airport were told to seek shelter as a precaution. Hundreds gathered under the famous neon-lit path that connects to the gates of Terminal 1. As the skies cleared, restrictions were gradually lifted by the Federal Aviation Administration.
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