Midwest Storms Kill 3, Knock Out Power to 700,000
Severe Midwest storms kill 3, injure 16, and cut power to 700,000; more rain forecast.
Crews across the Midwest worked through the night and into Wednesday to clear roads blocked by fallen trees and power lines after a powerful storm system brought tornadoes, flash flooding, and hurricane-force winds to the region.
The storms left at least three people dead. In Geneva, Indiana, a 4-year-old boy was killed when a tree crashed onto a home, according to the Jennings County Sheriff's Office. In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine said a resident of Roseville died during a medical emergency because first responders could not reach them due to flooded roads. Authorities in Portage, Indiana, were also investigating whether the weather contributed to a house explosion that killed one person.
Lightning struck a prison complex southwest of Cleveland, injuring 16 incarcerated individuals who were taken to hospitals, the Ohio Department of Corrections reported. Their conditions were not immediately known.
The storm system carved a path of destruction from the Chicago area into western Pennsylvania. The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes in counties south of Chicago and recorded a wind gust of 99 mph in Gary, Indiana, with numerous reports of 80 mph or higher elsewhere. Preliminary data suggested the event qualified as a derecho—a prolonged, straight-line wind storm that can cause damage comparable to tornadoes.
More than 700,000 customers were without power Wednesday morning across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, according to poweroutage.us. In Ohio, Governor DeWine deployed 40 National Guard members to assist in two counties east of Columbus, where water rescues were reported.
In the Chicago area, tornado sirens blared as skies darkened, and all flights were temporarily halted at both major airports. Social media images showed flooded streets, trees tangled in power lines, and homes with torn roofs.
Residents described harrowing experiences. Javid Jenkins of Homewood, a Chicago suburb, said he and his family sheltered in the basement. "No power. It was very scary," he said. "We're built for snow. We're built for cold. We're not built for this." Kerry Hourigan of Tinley Park stood outside her damaged home of 25 years, saying, "Total devastation. No roof."
Forecasters warned that more severe thunderstorms and heavy rain were expected in the coming days across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and central Appalachians. Dayton, Ohio, set a daily rainfall record with 2.07 inches, breaking a mark from 1915, and flood hazards were expected through early Friday.