On Monday evening, a series of powerful storms with embedded tornadoes swept through northern Illinois, including the Chicago area. These storms also brought hurricane-force winds as they moved through Chicago at night.
Many tornadoes were reported across northern Illinois and the Chicago suburbs. Weather forecasters were tracking over a dozen warnings simultaneously as the storms moved rapidly through the region. Severe storms continue to move across the Midwest, causing numerous Severe Thunderstorm Warnings along their path.
The storms brought hurricane-force winds, with gusts of 70-90 mph across northern Illinois. There was even a report of a 100 mph wind gust at Chicago O’Hare Airport. Late into the evening, numerous Tornado Warnings were issued across northern Illinois, including downtown Chicago.
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for Cook County, which includes downtown Chicago, around 9:15 p.m. The storm with the tornado warning had a history of producing radar-indicated tornadoes as it moved quickly across the suburbs. As the storm moved east, a tornado was spotted at Chicago O’Hare Airport, and the National Weather Service in Chicago reported power flashes at Chicago Midway Airport due to a possible tornado.
The Storm Prediction Center put almost 11 million people in southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, and northern Illinois, including Chicago, at a Level 4 out of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms. More than 40 million people across the Midwest were under threat of severe weather.
This severe weather followed a destructive weekend of storms from the Plains to the Upper Midwest. Reports included a tornado in Barney, North Dakota, wind gusts as strong as a Category 2 hurricane in South Dakota, softball-sized hail in Montana, and significant damage to buildings south of Chicago.
A video recorded on Sunday night showed storm clouds approaching Chicago, with tornado sirens heard in the background. According to FOX 32 Chicago, the severe weather on Sunday night caused damage in several communities, including a roof blown off a home in Maple Park and several trees and large branches knocked down in Chicago.