Tornadoes Cause Damage Across Illinois and Indiana
Residents in Illinois and Indiana faced significant challenges on Friday after tornadoes tore through neighborhoods south of Chicago. These storms left behind a path of destruction, prompting extensive cleanup efforts. Utility companies warned that restoring power might take until the following week.
Thursday’s storm incidents caused severe damage. Roofs were torn off buildings, homes were flattened, and numerous trees and power lines were downed, resulting in hundreds of thousands of power outages and disruptions in air traffic. Thankfully, officials confirmed there were no fatalities or life-threatening injuries, though some individuals received treatment for minor injuries.
Impact in Towns
Numerous communities, including Merrillville and Hebron in Indiana and Streator, Illinois, reported tornado destruction. Authorities assessed damage on Friday and considered declaring emergencies to access recovery funding. In Merrillville, Marsha Smith, living in an apartment complex, witnessed the tornado’s fury as roofs were torn from buildings, trees were uprooted, and cars were damaged. Smith, along with neighbors, sought safety under a stairwell as the tornado wreaked havoc. She described the pre-tornado calm as eerily silent, followed by a noise comparable to a freight train hitting the building. Fortunately, no one was injured at her location.
Officials in Merrillville noted extensive damage to over 200 structures, with some completely destroyed. Downed trees and power lines obstructed roads, and part of a high school’s roof was missing. Cleanup teams arrived to work on the debris, with multiple regional agencies assisting local responders. The American Red Cross established a 700-bed shelter for those affected.
Social media images from Streator and Hebron showed devastation similar to Merrillville’s. The National Weather Service confirmed tornado occurrences in these areas and was assessing how many struck. In Streator, emergency crews evaluated the situation after reports of nearly a dozen homes suffering damage or destruction. A reunification center for displaced residents was situated at city hall, and the Red Cross opened a shelter. Mayor Tara Bedei expressed gratitude for the lack of reported deaths and attributed this to quick emergency response. Four individuals in the area were treated for minor injuries.
In Hebron, first responders continued their work through the night, evaluating damage and providing aid.
Further Reports
In Elkhart, Indiana, Jennifer Hall recounted how a tree limb pierced the roof of her rental home during the storm. She improvised with buckets to manage the leaking. Hall expressed her anxiety, compounded by recent surgery and her husband’s absence.
The tornadoes were part of severe weather sweeping through the Midwest, beginning on Wednesday. These storms caused power outages, structural damage, and flight cancellations. As of Friday afternoon, nearly 180,000 people in Illinois experienced outages, a reduction from earlier numbers. Indiana had close to 115,000 impacted homes and businesses, showing some improvement. Commonwealth Edison aimed to restore most storm-related outages by the weekend in Illinois. In Indiana, NIPSCO expedited power restoration, but no clear timeline was given.
The storms had broader effects, grounding or delaying flights at major airports, including those in Chicago. The Northeast and mid-Atlantic faced additional challenges from intense heat and humidity. On Wednesday, a fatality occurred in Des Moines, Iowa, when a man at a homeless encampment was struck by a tree during the storms. No other deaths or injuries were reported.
Contributions to the report came from Associated Press journalists Hannah Fingerhut and Gene Johnson.