Storms swept through Iowa, Illinois (including Chicago) and Indiana on Monday, triggering multiple reports of tornadoes, downing trees and power poles, and knocking out power to some 193,735 customers and businesses. An Indiana woman died when a tree fell on her home, authorities said.
The 44-year-old woman died Monday night in Cedar Lake, Indiana, the Lake County Coroner's Office said.
Metra is notifying passengers that service may be changed or reduced Tuesday morning following Monday night's storm. They advise passengers to check metra.com for updates. A CTA spokesman said service was operating normally Tuesday after a brief delay Monday night due to weather-related signal issues.
On Tuesday morning, 78 flights were canceled and 114 were delayed at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Midway Airport had four flights canceled and 41 flights delayed.
Roger Edwards, chief forecaster at the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, said there were some reports of tornadoes, but the main focus was on damaging winds in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Ogle County, Illinois, saw multiple gusts in the 75 mph (120 kph) to 90 mph (145 kph) range, with 101 mph reported, Edwards said. (162 km/h) gusts.
Cedar Lake woman dies after storm knocks tree onto house
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado struck Des Moines, Iowa, as storms continued Monday afternoon into the night. Des Moines police were responding to a call about a utility pole that had apparently broken in two.
The storm then moved eastward into northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, where there were numerous tornado warnings, high winds, and heavy downpours. Multiple tornadoes were reported along a line of storms that passed through the city, according to the National Weather Service, which plans to survey some areas following reports.
According to poweroutage.us, nearly 390,000 customers were without power in northern Illinois alone.
“There are numerous reports of downed power lines throughout the city due to tonight's storms,” the Joliet, Illinois, Police Department posted online Monday night. “Many roadways are partially or completely blocked by trees or branches. ” The city is located approximately 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.
The National Weather Service in Chicago had to temporarily take cover and later reported severe damage to the city. The agency reported wind speeds of up to 75 mph (120 kph) in the area.
A flash flood warning was also issued for the Chicago area earlier Tuesday. As of Tuesday morning, there were no reports of major flooding damage.
Tornado warnings issued for parts of northern Illinois and collar counties
