CHICAGO (AP) — Storms that spawned multiple tornado reports ripped through Iowa, Illinois — including Chicago — and Indiana on Monday, toppling trees and power poles and cutting power to more than 460,000 customers and businesses. One woman in Indiana died after a tree fell on a home, authorities said.
The 44-year-old woman died Monday evening in Cedar Lake, Indiana, the Lake County coroner’s office reported.
There were some tornado reports, but damaging winds in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana were the biggest concern, said Roger Edwards, lead forecaster at the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. There were numerous wind gusts in the 75 mph (120 kph) to 90 mph (145 kph) range and a report of a 101 mph (162 kph) gust in Ogle County, Illinois, Edwards said.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado struck Des Moines, Iowa, as storms continued 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 that moved through the city, according to the National Weather Service, which planned to survey a number of areas following the reports.
According to poweroutage.us, nearly 390,000 customers were without power in northern Illinois alone.
“There are numerous reports of downed power lines in the city from tonight’s storm,” police in Joliet, Illinois, posted online Monday night. “Many roads are partially or completely blocked by trees or tree limbs.” The city is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.
The National Weather Service in Chicago was forced to take cover for a time and later reported extensive damage in the city. The agency reported winds in the region of up to 75 mph (120 km/h).
A flash flood warning was also issued for the Chicago area through early Tuesday. No major flood damage was reported through Tuesday morning.
At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, 81 flights were canceled Tuesday morning, and at Midway International Airport, there were eight.