Chicagoans filed a near-record number of reports of downed trees and requested tree limb removal after severe storms and multiple tornadoes were reported Monday night.
The city was hit by what meteorologists call a “derecho,” a powerful storm system characterized by strong winds.
In total, the city's non-emergency hotline 311 received more than 7,100 reports of downed trees and cleared branches between midnight Monday and late Tuesday afternoon, according to WBEZ's analysis.
This is the highest number reported on two consecutive days since August 2020, when another hurricane battered the city with peak winds of 85 mph.
National Weather Service meteorologist Zachary Yack said the strongest wind gust recorded near O'Hare Airport on Monday was 75 mph.
“When winds get to this level, especially when they impact trees like the ones that lose their leaves completely like here in the summer, it can cause extensive tree damage,” Yack said. “When these trees fall on homes, buildings or on a vehicle, you will also take additional damage.”
The Chicago Fire Department reported multiple downed power lines and doorways, and confirmed one person was injured. A woman in her 40s was hospitalized with head injuries after a tree fell on her car in the 1700 block of North Austin Avenue.
A northwest Indiana woman has died after a tree fell on her Cedar Lake home.
The city's Northwest Side appears to be hardest hit, according to WBEZ's analysis of neighborhoods with the highest number of complaints.
In total, Belmont Cragin residents submitted more than 800 downed tree reports and tree debris removal requests. The areas with the second highest number of combined complaints were Dunning, with about 370; Portage Park, with about 310; Austin, with about 300; and Hermosa, with about 290.
According to WBEZ's analysis, the time of day with the most complaints is between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
City forestry staff have been actively working to address tree and branch removal requests, according to the Streets and Sanitation Department.
Amy Qin is a data reporter for WBEZ; follow her @amyqin12.
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