Chicagoland tornado count: 8 twisters confirmed after severe storms
CHICAGO - The National Weather Service has confirmed that eight tornadoes touched down across the Chicagoland area on Wednesday as powerful storms swept through the region.
What we know:
The storms left behind widespread damage, downed trees, and power outages from the southwest suburbs to northwest Indiana.
The confirmed tornadoes included:
Lake County, Ind.
- EF-0 in southwestern Gary near 29th Avenue and Burr Street.
- EF-1 in southwestern Gary near McCullough Academy and the neighborhood east of Wallace Street at 21st Avenue.
- EF-0 near the Gary business district.
- EF-0 Highland
Will County, Ill.
- EF-0 in rural SE Joliet, just east of Preston Heights
- EF-0 on the east side of Frankfort
- EF-1 in the Steger area
Cook County, Ill.
- EF-0 Lynwood
The tornadoes brought heavy winds and rain, leading to extensive damage in Will County. In Joliet, residents were left picking up debris after trees and power lines were knocked down.
Major damage in Will County, northwest Indiana from severe weather
Residents saw downed trees and severe damage after storms ripped through the area.
One resident, Jim Stegall, said he took cover in his basement when the storm hit. After it passed, he discovered his pickup truck had been tossed from his driveway and landed against a neighbor’s tree.
Elsewhere in Will County, strong winds overturned a UPS semi-truck with a double trailer near Cedar and Laraway in New Lenox. The road was closed for hours as crews worked to clear the scene.
Highland, Indiana, also saw significant damage. Trees were uprooted, and several homes sustained structural damage as families took cover in their basements. Cleanup crews began working Thursday morning to remove debris.
In Gary, the EF-1 tornado caused widespread destruction, tearing roofs off homes and businesses. One of the hardest-hit areas was 21st Street, where power lines and poles came down across multiple homes. The roof of McCullough Academy’s gymnasium was also torn off, forcing the school to close for the rest of the week.
Gary tornado: Cleanup efforts underway after widespread damage
Cleanup efforts are in full swing after severe storms swept through the Chicagoland area, causing widespread damage and power outages.
What's next:
Power restoration efforts are ongoing. At the height of the storm, 13,000 customers were without power in northwest Indiana. NIPSCO crews have since reduced outages to about 1,500.
Joliet officials are ramping up emergency preparedness efforts with their Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, which will train residents to assist in emergencies like tornadoes.
Cleanup efforts continue across the region, with tree removal and structural repairs underway.
The Source: The information in this article was provided by the National Weather Service, local officials, and residents in affected communities.