Storms with tornadoes tore through Iowa, Illinois (including Chicago) and Indiana, downing trees and power lines and leaving more than 460,000 people without power.
CHICAGO– Storms that spawned multiple tornadoes tore through Iowa, Illinois (including Chicago) and Indiana on Monday, knocking down trees and power poles and leaving more than 460,000 customers and businesses without power.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado struck Des Moines, Iowa, as storms moved through Monday afternoon and into the night. Des Moines police responded to reports of power poles that had apparently snapped in half.
The storms then moved eastward into northern Illinois, including the Chicago area, where multiple tornado, wind and torrential rain warnings were in effect. Multiple tornadoes were reported along the line of storms moving through the city, the National Weather Service said.
According to poweroutage.us, nearly 390,000 customers were without power in northern Illinois alone.
The National Weather Service in Chicago was forced to take cover for a time and later reported extensive damage in the city.
A flash flood warning was also issued for the Chicago area through early Tuesday. Flooding was expected in creeks, rivers, drainage ditches, streets and tunnels as rain continued Monday night.
Storms moved across Indiana and Michigan Monday evening, prompting additional warnings, including multiple tornado watches in Indiana.