A severe weather outbreak spawned multiple tornadoes across Illinois and Indiana on Thursday, causing widespread destruction and widespread power disruptions for over 243,000 utility customers. The intense storm system arrived as a second wave of severe weather, following a deadly atmospheric event on Tuesday evening that killed at least two people and destroyed dozens of structures in Newton County, Indiana.
Ahead of the storms, the National Weather Service upgraded the Chicago area to a level 4 out of 5 severe risk, marking the first time the region faced this threat level since a historic outbreak of 32 tornadoes on July 15, 2024. By Thursday evening, roughly 11 cities reported tornado touchdowns across Illinois and Wisconsin. These strikes predominantly hit rural areas southwest of Chicago, including Streator, and near Merrillville, Indiana.
In Chicago proper, hurricane-force wind gusts exceeding 70 mph shattered downtown building windows and brought down countless trees across the metro area. The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation reported receiving over 5,272 tree emergency requests as the system moved through. The extreme weather conditions also forced the sudden postponement of the Jimmy Eat World concert at Northerly Island just hours before the scheduled showtime.
Utility provider ComEd mobilized crews to restore power to nearly 200,000 affected customers in Illinois, stating they anticipate 80 percent restoration by Saturday night. The destruction extended to community facilities, as the Animal Protective League shelter in Springfield suffered severe roof damage. Facility operators confirmed all 150 cats and 28 dogs survived the structural impact unscathed.