Severe thunderstorms tore through the Chicago region on Monday, bringing destructive winds, large hail, and flash flooding that left thousands of residents without power and disrupted travel across the area.
Forecasters described a squall line packing gusts over 80 miles per hour that swept through several suburbs, and warned of widespread straight-line wind damage.
Trained weather spotters reported possible tornado touchdowns in Orland Park and Glen Ellyn, though the National Weather Service had not yet confirmed those reports as of publication.
Damage and Outages Spread Across the Suburbs
Communities including Lansing, Orland Hills and Tinley Park saw significant structural damage. Video from Lansing showed homes with roofs torn away and debris scattered across yards, while portions of brick buildings in Hazel Crest were reduced to rubble.
Downed trees were reported from Darien to Homewood to Schaumburg, and officials in Wheaton said crews were working nonstop to clear roads for emergency responders.
Nearly half a million customers lost power as the storms rolled through, and utility crews were still working to restore service and clear debris in places like Tinley Park, where a local water park remained closed for repairs. In Evanston, officials fielded hundreds of calls about downed trees and power lines, forcing multiple street closures.
Hail was another major story of the day. Kenosha County saw reports of baseball-sized stones, while a spotter in Westmont measured hail up to 2.5 inches across. Golf ball-sized hail, some as large as 1.75 inches, fell in Downers Grove, Oak Brook, Willowbrook, Lemont and Elmhurst.
Travel Thrown Into Chaos
The storms brought major disruptions to air and rail travel. Nearly 1,000 flights were canceled at Chicago’s airports as ground stops kept planes grounded for hours. At O’Hare, footage showed water leaking through the ceiling near a gate, though the Chicago Department of Aviation had not commented on the damage.
Rail service also took a hit. Almost every Metra line saw delays from high winds and debris on the tracks, with the Electric Line hit hardest after wires were damaged along its south suburban route. The CTA’s Red, Purple and Yellow lines faced delays as well, with service temporarily halted on two of those lines.
On the roads, westbound Interstate 80 was shut down at Kedzie Avenue in Hazel Crest after a tanker truck became stuck near downed power lines. Flash flood warnings covered much of the region as repeated rounds of heavy rain hit the same neighborhoods twice in one day, flooding streets and prompting police in Addison to urge drivers to avoid flooded roadways entirely.