2 rounds of storms leave flooding, extensive damage across Chicago area

Cleanup is underway after severe storms swept through the Chicago area on Monday

Two rounds of storms left extensive damage and flooding in their wake

Severe storm warnings and watches

A Tornado Warning was in effect for Kankakee County on Monday afternoon, but has since expired

Tornado warnings were issued throughout the Chicago area earlier Monday, with the areas of highest risk in the south and southwest suburbs and then Northwest Indiana, as a massive storm system moved south-southeast from Wisconsin. 

Areas of rotation were spotted on the radar over Downers Grove, Orland Park, near Homer Glen, and in other parts of the Chicago area between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. Monday. 

A rain-wrapped tornado was reported near Orland Park, Homer Glen and Tinley Park, CBS News Chicago First Alert meteorologists said, with a tornadic debris signature visible on radar. 

The first round of storms has moved out of the area, with a second arriving later in the afternoon and expected to last through the evening hours. The break in between waves gave the atmosphere time to recharge

Damaging winds, flooding, hail and possible tornadoes were in effect and expired around 7 p.m

In Downers Grove, firefighters were working to rescue two contractor workers who got swept into the storm sewer during the torrential downpour. 

In Lansing, a woman was struck by debris when she went outside to get her dog after tornado sirens went off and part of her roof collapsed

Starting late Monday night through Wednesday morning, winds will be aggressive out of the northeast. While this storm will help the humidity drop for a couple days, it humidity levels will start to rise again by Thursday and on Friday and Saturday there are more rain and storm chances as Lollapalooza is held in Grant Park

There were delays on the CTA Red and Purple lines and service is temporarily suspended on the Yellow lines because of debris blown onto the tracks from the storms. Purple line trains are not operating between Howard and Linden because of debris on the tracks near Central. 

Wind damage, flooding, power outages reported from storms

Extensive storm damage has been reported after the first round of storms moved out of the area. There were reports of downed trees in Oak Forest, Chicago Heights, Beverly, Orland Park and Palos Heights. 

Orland Park and Palos Heights police also reported downed power lines. In Orland Park, police said traffic lights were out and downed trees and power lines were blocking some roads. There are also many reports of flooding. 

In Frankfort, police said Lagrange Road from Nebraska to Laraway has been temporarily closed due to flooding. Motorists are asked to avoid the area. 

In Evergreen Park, part of a roof came off a Dollar Tree at 92nd and Western and landed onto the sidewalk. No injuries were reported. 

The Interstate Sports Dome in Tinley Park reportedly suffered damage from Monday’s storms. In a post on social media, the business said that no one was injured and that they are already assessing the damage in order to resume operations

The National Weather Service has received reports of wind gusts between 90 and 100 miles per hour in the south and southwest suburbs. A line of wind damage running about 60 miles southeast from Schaumburg has also been reported. In Lansing, Markham and Ford Heights, there are reports that roofs have been ripped from buildings by the high winds, though officials have not yet confirmed them. 

There are possibilities for derechos and straight-line winds, as well as rotating thunderstorms that could spawn tornadoes through the evening hours. 

Heavy downpours have been reported in the areas affected by storm warnings. There have also been reports of hail as large as egg-sized or potentially baseball-sized, and high wind gusts. 

In southwest suburban Summit, near the border with Bedford Park, so much rain fell so quickly that roads were completely washed out and sidewalks were flooded. The water was high enough that the houses in the area likely suffered some damage. 

In downtown Chicago, rain totals of more than 2 inches in an hour or less have been recorded, with rain continuing, hard and steady, through midday. 

Radar has also picked up heavy lightning strikes from the storms, and the potential for destructive winds is high. 

ComEd says it’s responding to power outages that affected more than 295,000 customers in its service area as of Monday night. In Northwest Indiana, Nipsco reported power outages affecting more than 28,000 customers as of 4 p.m.