NWS confirms at least 2 tornadoes tore through Elgin, another in Burr Ridge
CHICAGO - There were several tornadoes reported across Chicago Wednesday night, including two confirmed by the National Weather Service in Elgin.
NWS crews were evaluating each area where strong winds were reported to determine just how many tornadoes touched down.
At least one EF-1 tornado hit Elgin. It reached a maximum wind speed of 100 mph. The track roughly started east of Rt. 47 and ended near the railroad tracks west of Villa Olivia Golf Course.
The second was rated an EF-0 with maximum wind speed of 85 mph. It began near McDonald Road and ended along Hopps road.
The Elgin tornadoes caused $7 million in damages among 19 homes, the city announced Thursday night.
NWS also confirmed an EF-1 tornado traveled from Burr Ridge to Stickney with a max wind speed of 110 mph. In addition to numerous trees snapped and uprooted, several businesses saw significant damage.
The storms moved through the area about 7 p.m, according to the NWS, prompting a tornado warning for Cook County and tornado watch for surrounding counties.
Warnings were lifted by 7:45 p.m., though residents were advised to stay indoors and monitor weather reports for much of the evening.
A tornado touched down near O’Hare International Airport around 7 p.m., the weather service confirmed. The tornado was "touching the ground intermittently" and moving east, according to a tweet from the weather service.
There was also reports of a tornado near Midway airport, which led to a temporary ground stop and hundreds of cancelations and delays between there and O'Hare.
Amtrak also suspended trains due to severe weather.
Across the Chicago area, cleanup efforts are now underway in several counties with reports of power outages, downed trees, and severe damage to homes.
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At this time, no significant injuries have been reported as a result of the storms.
Thursday was forecast to be a cakewalk in comparison to Wednesday's mayhem. Mostly cloudy with highs around 80 degrees.
However, shortly before 7 p.m., a Tornado Warning was issued in McHenry and Boone counties.
Spotty thundershowers could also bloom in the heat and humidity Friday afternoon when highs will be in the upper 80s. The weekend will be warm with highs in the 80s and a daily chance of showers and storms, but many more dry hours than wet.
The new drought data come in Thursday morning and even though nothing that fell yesterday will be incorporated into the update, conditions will likely have improved from last week.