Chicago suburbs storm damage toppled trees and power lines, flooded roads and left nearly 3,000 ComEd customers without electricity after powerful storms crossed northeastern Illinois.
Tornado and flash-flood warnings were issued as damaging winds, hail and heavy rain affected communities northwest of Chicago and parts of the city.
Chicago Suburbs Storm Damage Hits Bartlett
In Bartlett, authorities reported fallen trees and power lines in the downtown area and asked residents to avoid the area while emergency crews worked. Fire Chief William Gabrenya said no injuries had been reported by the following morning.
Gabrenya said straight-line winds of more than 70 mph were believed to have caused the damage. Trees were reported down across the community, including one that fell onto part of a home.
Possible Tornado Damage Examined Near Huntley
McHenry County emergency responders documented roof damage to a barn in Huntley near an area where video appeared to show a possible tornado. Weather officials had not confirmed a touchdown, and assessment teams were expected to inspect damage across the region.
Quarter-sized hail was reported in Algonquin, McHenry and Lake in the Hills. Fallen trees were also reported in Elgin, Sleepy Hollow and East Dundee.
In Streamwood, several homes sustained roof and siding damage. In Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, surveillance video showed a large tree branch falling onto a moving vehicle near 104th Street and Seeley Avenue. The source provided no information about possible injuries in that incident.
ComEd Outages Concentrated in Northwest Suburbs
A local alderman said about 900 Beverly homes lost electricity as crews responded to 48 tree emergencies and four downed streetlight poles.
By early Thursday morning, ComEd reported slightly fewer than 3,000 customers without power across the region. Most outages were concentrated in northwest suburbs including Bartlett, Elgin and Carpentersville. Gabrenya said the utility had deployed additional personnel for restoration work.
The combination of wind damage, flooding and scattered outages highlights the need for residents to avoid downed power lines and damaged areas while assessments and cleanup continue.
