Power Outage in Chicago, IL

Trees and power lines were blown down in the 2400 block of Marquette Road.

Power lines were blown down along Algonquin Rd in Rolling Meadows. Wind magnitude and time were estimated based on radar.

A large tree limb was blown onto power lines near Canfield Avenue and Talcott Avenue.

Multiple tree limbs up to 6 inches in diameter were blown down in Mt Prospect including at least one on a vehicle and another on power lines.

Multiple trees were blown down in Avondale. One tree fell onto a house, damaging the roof. Another tree fell onto power lines. A tree 3 to 4 feet in diameter was snapped at its base and fell onto several cars.

Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Northfield. One tree fell onto a house and another tree fell onto a car. Most of the damage was located in the vicinity of Dickens Road, Riverside Drive, Winnetka Road and Stockton Road.

Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down in many areas across northwest Chicago including in the Edison Park, Jefferson Park and Albany Park neighborhoods.

Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down in many areas across northwest Chicago including in the Edison Park, Jefferson Park and Albany Park neighborhoods.

Scattered tree limbs and power lines were blown down across portions of western Chicago including in the Dunning and Mont Clare neighborhoods.

Scattered tree limbs and power lines were blown down across portions of western Chicago including in the Dunning and Mont Clare neighborhoods.

Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Roselle in Cook County.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between Division Street and Chicago Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. At least one large tree fell onto a car, damaging the back end of the car and blocking a road.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between Division Street and Chicago Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. At least one large tree fell onto a car, damaging the back end of the car and blocking a road.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between North Avenue and Madison Street in the North Austin, Austin and South Austin neighborhoods of Chicago.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between North Avenue and Madison Street in the North Austin, Austin and South Austin neighborhoods of Chicago.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 51st Avenue and 59th Avenue, in the Back Of The Yards neighborhood of Chicago. A large 2 to 3 foot diameter hardwood tree was blown down, taking down power lines and a fence in the 5100 block of Throop Street.

Large trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in North Riverside. The worst damage on the east side appeared to be concentrated between 23rd Street and Traube Street, particularly in the 2300 and 2400 blocks of Burr Oak Avenue and 2500 block of Hainsworth Avenue, where fallen trees blocked roadways.

A large tree from a residential backyard fell onto the wall of the Ames School gymnasium but did little to no damage. The tree fell onto part of the wall with no windows. The tree also fell onto a chain-link fence, which was damaged and fell onto a power line.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between Roosevelt Road and 31st Street in the Lawndale, North Lawndale and Little Village neighborhoods of Chicago.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 71st Street and 87th Street in the South Shore and South Chicago neighborhoods of Chicago.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 71st Street and 87th Street in the South Shore and South Chicago neighborhoods of Chicago.

Scattered tree limbs and power lines were blown down between Foster Avenue and Irving Park Road in the Jefferson Park and Portage Park neighborhoods of Chicago.

Scattered tree limbs and power lines were blown down between Foster Avenue and Irving Park Road in the Jefferson Park and Portage Park neighborhoods of Chicago.

Multiple trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Forest View.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 31st Street and 55th Street in the Douglas, Kenwood and Hyde Park neighborhoods of Chicago. Some trees were uprooted near Hyde Park. A large portion of a hardwood tree was blown down across the road near 3900 Lake Park Avenue.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 31st Street and 55th Street in the Douglas, Kenwood and Hyde Park neighborhoods of Chicago. Some trees were uprooted near Hyde Park. A large portion of a hardwood tree was blown down across the road near 3900 Lake Park Avenue.

Trees were damaged and power lines were blown down in Northlake.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between Interstate 55 and west of Midway Airport.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between Interstate 55 and west of Midway Airport.

Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Stickney. Some trees fell onto cars, including a tree that fell on a car in the 3800 block of Wenonah Avenue. Both front and back windows were shattered and the car was dented. Structural damage was reported to a hobby shop on Ogden Avenue. A tree fell onto a house near 40th Street and Euclid Avenue and a large tree was uprooted at 39th Street and Elmwood Avenue.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 55th Street and 83rd Street in the Chicago Lawn and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods of Chicago.

Trees, tree limbs, power lines and light poles were blown down in a swath between 55th Street and 83rd Street in the Chicago Lawn and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods of Chicago.

Photos were shared on social media of a tree, utility pole and power lines blown down near 74th Street and Carpenter Street. A vehicle was damaged after driving onto the downed utility pole.

Video showed metal siding on the entire north side of an industrial building removed and laying next to railroad tracks, disrupting commuter rail service. Power lines were also blown down onto the tracks in the vicinity.

A power line was blown down in the Irving Park neighborhood.

A corridor of significant straight line wind damage occurred from Harvey east to Calumet City. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped along this corridor. Some roofs were damaged by falling trees; other roofs suffered minor shingle damage from the strong winds. Some of the worst damage was in Harvey in an area between Sibley Boulevard to the north and 159th Street to the south. Trees were snapped and uprooted and extensive damage occurred to utility poles and power lines, resulting in some portions of the power grid needing to be completely rebuilt. Almost everyone in Harvey lost power. An estimated 300 to 350 trees were blown down in Harvey. Almost every road in Harvey was blocked by some amount of tree damage. Significant tree damage was reported in forest preserve areas including in the Shabonna Woods Forest Preserve. Damage was consistent with wind speeds up to 90 mph.||One day later, on August 11th, just after noon, a 59 year old man was walking in the 15000 block of Merrill Avenue in unincorporated Thornton Township near Calumet City. He stepped on a downed power line that was live and collapsed in a grassy area where he died.

Tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Orland Park. A fence was damaged in the Catalina subdivision.

About 50 trees were knocked down or damaged along Logan Boulevard in the Logan Square neighborhood in Chicago. Tree limbs and power lines were also blown down.

Widespread tree damage occurred across Chicago. At least 11,000 trees were blown down. Many more trees were damaged. Dozens of vehicles were damaged by falling trees and tree limbs, some vehicles were crushed. Numerous roads were blocked by the fallen trees. Hundreds of power lines were blown down, some started small fires.

Residential structure flooding was reported along Kingbury Street due to flooding from the North Branch Chicago River. Flooding from the Chicago River also flooded all of Lower Wacker Drive which was closed. Several cars were stalled in the flood waters and six homeless people were rescued. Flooding from the Chicago River was reported to be the worst in nearly 60 years and flooded the basement lower levels of the Willis Tower. The water had to recede and it took several days to pump water from the lower levels. Power was lost which affected numerous TV and radio station broadcasts, including the NOAA Weather Radio Station which broadcasts from the Willis Tower. The flow of the Chicago River was reversed to avoid overbank flooding, which allowed storm water and sewage to flow directly into Lake Michigan. The Chicago Riverwalk was also flooded in several locations.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down south of Interstate 80/94 through Thornton Road, on the west side of Lansing.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down near and around the 19th Ward and Evergreen Park.

Damage to trees and powerlines was reported along Harlem and Cicero Avenues between 103rd and 111th streets.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in a several block area southwest of Rogers Park. A light pole was also blown over. Several streets were completed blocked by the downed trees. Three vehicles were damaged by falling trees. One was a van which was crushed.

Numerous power lines were blown down in Arlington Heights.

Numerous power lines were blown down in Arlington Heights.

A severe thunderstorm moved across south central Cook County producing widespread wind damage. A wind gust to 67 mph was measured at Midway Airport (KMDW) at 451 pm CDT. The City of Chicago reported 218 tree limbs blown down or broken; 43 trees were blown down and had to be removed and 15 power lines were blown down. Near Midway Airport, damage was reported to light poles, vehicles and houses with a large section of a roof torn off. Numerous trees were blown down and the roof of an apartment building was peeled back east of Interstate 94. Roof damage was also reported to a building across from Washington Park at 51st and King Drive.

A severe thunderstorm moved across south central Cook County producing widespread wind damage. A wind gust to 67 mph was measured at Midway Airport (KMDW) at 451 pm CDT. The City of Chicago reported 218 tree limbs blown down or broken; 43 trees were blown down and had to be removed and 15 power lines were blown down. Near Midway Airport, damage was reported to light poles, vehicles and houses with a large section of a roof torn off. Numerous trees were blown down and the roof of an apartment building was peeled back east of Interstate 94. Roof damage was also reported to a building across from Washington Park at 51st and King Drive.

Numerous trees down and snapped, power lines down, and numerous power poles down. A couple of power poles were snapped. Radar indications show this was a microburst. Radar estimated time.

A tree fell onto power lines on Bell Road, which was closed between McCarthy Road and 131st Avenue.

Thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall across northern Cook County with rainfall rates between 2 and 4 inches per hour which caused widespread flash flooding. Chicago O'Hare Airport measured 6.78 inches of rain during a 3 hour period between 1251 am CDT and 351 am CDT, with 3.19 inches falling between 151 am CDT and 251 am CDT. This extreme rainfall which fell across much of northern Cook County caused widespread street, parking lot and basement flooding with numerous cars stranded and submerged. Retention ponds, creeks and small streams quickly overflowed their banks.||In Prospect Heights, a sewage lift station lost power for about 6 hours, causing the flooding to be worse in some areas. Some basements were completely flooded with flood water and sewage 8 to 10 feet deep. In Mt. Prospect, an estimated 100 vehicles were disabled in high water. Numerous roads and intersections were flooded with several feet of standing water. Two feet of water pooled in the underground parking garage of the Mt. Prospect Library. Some of this water seeped into the lower level lobby. In Park Ridge, nearly 500 basements were flooded along with numerous streets. In nearby unincorporated Maine Township, more than 500 residences and 175 businesses were affected by flooding. Hundreds of vehicles suffered some amount of flood damage with some vehicles completely covered by flood waters.||In Niles, more than 240 homes suffered some level of flooding with 5 to 6 feet of water in some basements. In Glenview, three manhole covers were blown off by the flood waters with numerous flooded streets. In Glencoe, numerous streets were flooded and impassible stranding dozens of cars. One motorist needed to be rescued from a vehicle. The basment of the Village Hall was also flooded. In Des Plaines, dozens of streets and basements were flooded. Some basements sustained as much as $10,000 in damages. One woman had to be rescued from her stranded car on Elmhurst Road. Fairgrounds in downtown Des Plaines were damaged by flood water. In Northbrook, four motorists had to be rescued from vehicles stranded in flood waters. In Elk Grove Village, almost every road had some amount of flooding during the height of the storm. At least one vehicle was stranded in flood waters on Morrison Boulevard.||In Rolling Meadows, the Carriageway area and Barker Lake areas were the hardest hit. Several streets were flooded with stranded and submerged vehicles. In Winnetka, numerous streets were flooded and impassible with stranded and submerged vehicles. Basement flooding was widespread. A sink hole developed near a large hackberry tree and the water rushing into the hole resembled a small waterfall. The tree began to lean over and was eventually cut down. The Winnetka Golf Club's 18 hole course was closed for 10 days due to flooding and is part of a floodplain, which is expected to provide stormwater detention after heavy rain. In Palatine, a 15 foot by 20 foot sinkhole developed at the northwest corner of Dundee and Hicks Road when a sewer line about 30 feet below the surface collapsed. In Arlington Heights, numerous streets and basements were flooded including the parking lot of the International Plaza. Several cars were stranded in the flood waters. The Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce office in the basement of a bank was flooded. Flood water was reported to be a raging river which roared down Phelps Avenue in Arlington Heights. Damage to just one basement was estimated at $80,000.||Storm total rainfall amounts included 8.20 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport; 7.25 inches in Arlington Heights; 7.17 inches in Elk Grove Village; 6.06 inches at the Wheeling/Chicago Excutive Airport and 5.33 inches in Northbrook.

Thunderstorms produced torrential rainfall across northern Cook County with rainfall rates between 2 and 4 inches per hour which caused widespread flash flooding. Chicago O'Hare Airport measured 6.78 inches of rain during a 3 hour period between 1251 am CDT and 351 am CDT, with 3.19 inches falling between 151 am CDT and 251 am CDT. This extreme rainfall which fell across much of northern Cook County caused widespread street, parking lot and basement flooding with numerous cars stranded and submerged. Retention ponds, creeks and small streams quickly overflowed their banks.||In Prospect Heights, a sewage lift station lost power for about 6 hours, causing the flooding to be worse in some areas. Some basements were completely flooded with flood water and sewage 8 to 10 feet deep. In Mt. Prospect, an estimated 100 vehicles were disabled in high water. Numerous roads and intersections were flooded with several feet of standing water. Two feet of water pooled in the underground parking garage of the Mt. Prospect Library. Some of this water seeped into the lower level lobby. In Park Ridge, nearly 500 basements were flooded along with numerous streets. In nearby unincorporated Maine Township, more than 500 residences and 175 businesses were affected by flooding. Hundreds of vehicles suffered some amount of flood damage with some vehicles completely covered by flood waters.||In Niles, more than 240 homes suffered some level of flooding with 5 to 6 feet of water in some basements. In Glenview, three manhole covers were blown off by the flood waters with numerous flooded streets. In Glencoe, numerous streets were flooded and impassible stranding dozens of cars. One motorist needed to be rescued from a vehicle. The basment of the Village Hall was also flooded. In Des Plaines, dozens of streets and basements were flooded. Some basements sustained as much as $10,000 in damages. One woman had to be rescued from her stranded car on Elmhurst Road. Fairgrounds in downtown Des Plaines were damaged by flood water. In Northbrook, four motorists had to be rescued from vehicles stranded in flood waters. In Elk Grove Village, almost every road had some amount of flooding during the height of the storm. At least one vehicle was stranded in flood waters on Morrison Boulevard.||In Rolling Meadows, the Carriageway area and Barker Lake areas were the hardest hit. Several streets were flooded with stranded and submerged vehicles. In Winnetka, numerous streets were flooded and impassible with stranded and submerged vehicles. Basement flooding was widespread. A sink hole developed near a large hackberry tree and the water rushing into the hole resembled a small waterfall. The tree began to lean over and was eventually cut down. The Winnetka Golf Club's 18 hole course was closed for 10 days due to flooding and is part of a floodplain, which is expected to provide stormwater detention after heavy rain. In Palatine, a 15 foot by 20 foot sinkhole developed at the northwest corner of Dundee and Hicks Road when a sewer line about 30 feet below the surface collapsed. In Arlington Heights, numerous streets and basements were flooded including the parking lot of the International Plaza. Several cars were stranded in the flood waters. The Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce office in the basement of a bank was flooded. Flood water was reported to be a raging river which roared down Phelps Avenue in Arlington Heights. Damage to just one basement was estimated at $80,000.||Storm total rainfall amounts included 8.20 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport; 7.25 inches in Arlington Heights; 7.17 inches in Elk Grove Village; 6.06 inches at the Wheeling/Chicago Excutive Airport and 5.33 inches in Northbrook.

Fences were blown down and an 8-inch diameter tree was snapped near Hintz Road and Windsor Drive. At Arlington Park Race Track, 4 to 6 inch diameter branches were blown down. Numerous trees and power lines were also down across the area. There was a report of a window blown out of a house.

Fences were blown down and an 8-inch diameter tree was snapped near Hintz Road and Windsor Drive. At Arlington Park Race Track, 4 to 6 inch diameter branches were blown down. Numerous trees and power lines were also down across the area. There was a report of a window blown out of a house.

Downed power lines sparked a fire that spread to four cars. Two of the cars were totaled, with the interiors completely burned.

Winds were measured to 75 mph at Midway Airport as well as an observer approximately 3 miles southwest of Midway Airport. A semi was overturned near the intersection of 65th Street and Menard Avenue. Fences and 10-inch diameter branches were blown down. Large trees were reported down near Midway Airport. Sheet metal and shingles were torn off roofs. Power lines and poles were blown down, including one pole that fell onto a house in Burbank. Winds were estimated to 65 mph in Hometown.

Tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Wind gusts were estimated to 60 mph. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in many areas in Prospect Heights. A large tree was completely uprooted along the Willow Sloughs. The roof of an apartment building on Wolf Road was blown off.

In Harwood Heights, every block had either broken trees or tree limbs. Some streets were completely blocked by fallen trees. A few cars were damaged by fallen trees. One car was damaged by a live powerline when it started a fire. Numerous other powerlines were blown down.

In Harwood Heights, every block had either broken trees or tree limbs. Some streets were completely blocked by fallen trees. A few cars were damaged by fallen trees. One car was damaged by a live powerline when it started a fire. Numerous other powerlines were blown down.

Numerous large trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Several roads were blocked by the fallen trees.

Several trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago. Considerable damage was reported between 131st and 135th Streets.

Several trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago. Considerable damage was reported between 131st and 135th Streets.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down on the west side of the City of Chicago.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across southwest areas of the City of Chicago.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across southwest areas of the City of Chicago.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across far southern parts of the City of Chicago. The Beverly Hills/Morgan Park area had extensive tree damage including damage to houses and cars.

Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across far southern parts of the City of Chicago. The Beverly Hills/Morgan Park area had extensive tree damage including damage to houses and cars.

Six large tree limbs were blown down in Morton Grove which brought down power lines.

North northwest of Arlington Heights, power lines were blown down blocking Arlington Heights Road and also at the intersection of Lake Cook and Hicks Road.

Power lines were blown down on Sheridan Street in Winnetka.

A microburst began near the railroad tracks just east of Southwest Highway about one quarter mile south of 135th Street. The microburst widened, causing a damage path one quarter mile wide and about one third mile long. The microburst blew down numerous trees in the area of Carolina Lane, 92nd Avenue, Elm Street, and 137th and 138th Streets. Trees fell on rooftops, shingles were blown off a shed, there was damage to eaves of homes and there was porch and eave damage due to falling trees and tree limbs. Power lines were also downed due to falling tree limbs.

Trees and power lines were blown down on the northwest side of Chicago.

Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in the Beverly Park, Morgan Park and Mt. Greenwood communities.

A wind gust to 59 mph was measured in Hoffman Estates and trees and powerlines were blown in Streamwood.

Strong winds which gusted between 40 and 50 mph caused many tree limbs and power lines to be blown down along with a few trees across the city of Chicago. One large tree was blown down onto a house on Courtland Avenue.

High winds caused damage to trees, utility poles and power lines in the City of Chicago. There were 547 reports of damage to trees, 169 traffic signals out, 86 power lines down and 58 light poles damaged.

Several trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

Tree damage was reported throughout North Riverside. A tree was uprooted on Fifth Avenue and half of another tree came down on 12th Avenue. Power lines were also blown down.

Trees and power lines were blown down.

Power lines were reported down in the Jefferson Park area.

Trees were uprooted and large branches and power lines were blown down in the West Ridge area.

Scattered thunderstorms moved across portions of northern Illinois during the afternoon of April 4th producing large hail and wind damage. ||Additional isolated thunderstorms moved across parts of northern Illinois during the evening. High winds occurred north of these storms during the evening, producing isolated wind damage. Tree and power line damage was reported in Mendota along with a damaged roof. A tree fell onto a house in Round Lake Beach causing its roof to collapse. A wind gust to 66 mph was measured north of Leland.

During the late morning through the afternoon of Monday August 10th, a line of intense thunderstorms known as a derecho brought widespread severe wind damage across Iowa, northern Illinois and northern Indiana.||In north central and northeast Illinois alone, the severe winds of 60 to 100 mph downed or damaged tens of thousands of trees, as well as caused severe damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. There were 10 injuries reported in north central and northeast Illinois within the NWS Chicago/Romeoville County Warning Area (CWA). Local officials estimated that nearly one million customers lost power across northern Illinois at the height of the derecho and some people were without power for several days. Damage was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars in north central and northeast Illinois, with several billions of dollars in damages across the entire Corn Belt region including significant damage to crops and agriculture infrastructure. While much of the damage was due to straight line winds, there were also 14 tornadoes documented in north central and northeast Illinois.||The combination of high moisture, explosive instability and very strong atmospheric wind flow for mid-summer had developed quickly over the Corn Belt region on the morning of August 10th. This resulted in a progressive, well-organized complex of storms for hundreds of miles and at times traveling nearly 70 mph. After bringing extensive damage from extreme wind speeds in Iowa that morning, the damage transitioned across northern Illinois from widespread wind damage to narrow, brief and intense swaths associated with compact circulations within the thunderstorm line, some of which were associated with tornadoes.

A powerful line of thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon of June 30th producing wind damage.

Very strong and gusty winds developed during the morning hours of February 24th and continued into the evening hours. Wind gusts between 55 mph and 65 mph were common during this time period which resulted in numerous tree limbs and power lines being blown down. Some roof damage and uprooted trees were also reported. In Will County, a semi truck was blown over near the intersection of Ridge Road and Route 126 and another semi truck was blown over on Interstate 57 at the Peotone exit. In LaSalle County, a semi truck was blown over on Interstate 39 at mile marker 61, blocking both northbound lanes. In Kankakee County, an entire gas station canopy was blown over near Bradley. In Ogle County, part of a roof was blown onto Route 38 near Rochelle. Peak wind gusts included 64 mph near Bolingbrook, Harvard and at the Aurora/Sugar Grove Airport (ARR); 63 mph three miles east of Antioch; 62 mph in Wheeling; 60 mph at Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD); 60 mph in Sycamore and at the Peru Airport (VYS); 59 mph at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW); 58 mph at Dupage Airport (DPA) and 58 mph at Morris Airport (C09).

Freezing rain developed during the afternoon of February 11th and continued through the morning of February 12th, causing significant ice accumulations across all of northern Illinois. Damage to tree limbs and power lines were reported in some areas. Storm total ice accumulations included 0.54 inches in DeKalb; 0.50 inches in Oswego, Plainfield, Bolingbrook and McHenry; 0.50 inches at the Aurora/Sugar Grove Airport (ARR); 0.46 inches at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW); 0.44 inches three miles southwest of Midway Airport; 0.44 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD); 0.42 inches at Dupage Airport (DPA); 0.40 inches near Newark; 0.34 inches at Rockford Airport (RFD); 0.25 inches near in Downers Grove, Channahon, Peotone and Manteno and 0.07 inches at Waukegan Airport (UGN).

A winter storm moved across central Illinois during the evening of November 25th and early morning of November 26th producing heavy wet snow across northern Illinois. Storm total snowfall amounts included 13.1 inches two miles west northwest of Bull Valley; 13.0 inches two miles east northeast of Rockford; 12.0 inches near Wonder Lake; 12.0 inches in Ashton; 12.0 inches in Rochelle; 11.7 inches at Rockford Airport; 11.5 inches in Woodstock; 10.5 inches two miles east of Schaumburg; 10.3 inches two miles west southwest of Elk Grove Village; 10.1 inches near De Kalb; 10.0 inches one mile east southeast of Roselle; 10.0 inches near Lake Villa; 10.0 inches in St. Charles; 9.8 inches in Lake Zurich; 9.0 inches in Capron; 9.0 inches in Belvidere; 9.0 inches in Harvard; 8.5 inches in Hebron; 8.4 inches in Genoa; 8.4 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport; 7.5 inches near Algonquin; 6.7 inches near Downers Grove and 6.6 inches two miles north of Waukegan.||In addition to the heavy snow, strong northerly winds persisted for several hours. Peak wind gusts included 54 mph near Shorewood; 52 mph at Chicago O'Hare Airport; 51 mph at Wheeling/Palwaukee Airport; 49 mph in Lakeview; 49 mph at DuPage Airport; 47 mph at Sugar Grove Airport; 47 mph at Chicago Midway Airport; 47 mph at Waukegan Airport and 46 mph at Rockford Airport. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down with over 80 trees blown down in Chicago. Some of the trees fell onto houses and cars and some were blocking streets. At the height of the storm an estimated 361,000 customers lost power. More than 1,300 flights were cancelled at O'Hare and Midway Airports. Hundreds of schools were closed and numerous car accidents were reported.||Along the Lake Michigan shore, the bike path north of Downtown Chicago was flooded with several feet of water. High waves also caused flooding in the right most lane of northbound Lakeshore Drive which was closed.

A strong cold front moved across northern Illinois during the late morning and afternoon of October 20th. This cold front produced snow squalls that reduced visibility to near zero for short periods. Winds gusted as high as 65 mph. Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down. At the height of the high winds, an estimated 80,000 customers lost power. Peak wind gusts included 65 mph in Somonauk; 63 mph three miles southwest of Chicago Midway Airport; 61 mph at Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and Rockford Airports (RFD); 60 mph at Chicago Midway (MDW) and Lewis Airport in Romeoville (LOT); 59 mph three miles north of Popular Grove and 58 mph at Dupage/West Chicago Airport (DPA).||Damage included numerous power lines blown down. An uprooted tree and its root system caused extensive damage to a garage in Crest Hill. A large tree limb fell onto a garage in Lockport. A house was damaged in Steger after a tree fell on it. A semi truck was blown over on Interstate 57 near mile marker 292.

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms moved across portions of northern Illinois during the afternoon of August 28th. A line of severe thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the evening of August 28th producing wind damage. At the height of the storms, approximately 110,000 customers were without power.

A strong area of low pressure moved across the Western Great Lakes on March 16th producing wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph. Numerous trees and tree limbs were blown down. A tree was uprooted and fell onto a home in Lyons. In Bensenville, a tree fell onto a house and another tree up to 20 inches in diameter was snapped at its base and fell onto power lines. A street lamp was blown down in Chicago. A three foot diameter tree was blown down in Cherry Valley.

A powerful weather system impacted the central United States from December 26-28, including northern Illinois on December 28. This system was predominantly sleet (or ice pellets) with occasional mixing of freezing rain and snow for areas along and north of I-80, and mainly freezing rain with an occasional sleet mix south of I-80. ||The official sleet total for Chicago was 1.9 observed at O'Hare International Airport. This appears to be a record for sleet in a day, with the previous record being 1.5 on February 4, 1924. The official sleet and snow total in Rockford was 3.5 observed at Chicago Rockford International Airport. ||Other sleet amounts include 1.6 at the NWS Chicago office in Romeoville, and 2.1 observed near (3 miles southwest) Chicago Midway International Airport.||Some of the highest sleet reports include: 3.5 inches near Roscoe (Winnebago); 3.5 inches in Polo (Ogle); 3.2 inches in Crystal Lake (McHenry); 3.0 inches near Batavia (Kane); 3.0 inches near Brookfield (Cook); 2.5 inches near Carol Stream (DuPage); 2.0 inches near Capron (Boone); and 1.6 inches in Romeoville (Will). Freezing rain amounts were 0.30 inches in Pontiac (Livingston) and 0.25 inches in Mendota (LaSalle).

Multiple rounds of heavy rain producing storms moved across the region during the day and evening of June 15th, with an especially intense area of extreme rainfall rates during the mid-afternoon through early evening centered on the I-88 and I-290 corridors from the IL/IA state line through Chicago. This rain resulted in widespread flash flooding, including the closure of a portion of I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway). Across the metro area, there were reports and photos of cars stranded, though no injuries were reported to the NWS. The heavy rainfall and widespread storm coverage resulted in the cancellation or delays of hundreds of commercial flights in and out of Chicago. A downburst occurred in Mendota, Illinois with winds estimated to be around 80 mph resulting in mainly tree damage. While the environment was not conducive for long-lived or powerful tornadoes, a tornado threat existed with a few supercells. This included two storms in central Cook County, primarily west of downtown Chicago. Each of these had funnel cloud reports. There was also a tornado reported near the Will/Kanakakee County border, not far from I-57. An EF-1 tornado was confirmed near Symerton Illinois. The highest rainfall amounts reported were two and a half to five inches in parts of Cook, DuPage, Kane, and Will Counties, which include a large majority of Chicago and the metropolitan area.

A major tornado outbreak impacted the Midwest and Ohio Valley on November 17th. A powerful low pressure system across the plains states steered warmth and moisture northward for nearly two days, with dew points rising into the mid 60's. This coupled with temperatures around 70�� resulted in unseasonably strong instability for thunderstorms to develop. High wind shear and a cold front sweeping eastward made up the remaining ingredients of an environment favorable for supercells capable of long-lived significant tornadoes. Within the WFO LOT county warning area, ten tornadoes were confirmed, including three EF-2 tornadoes. As the event evolved, the system became linear with numerous reports of straight line wind damage. Behind the thunderstorms, a wake low developed with wind gusts to around 60 mph.

A powerful line of thunderstorms moved southeast across northern Illinois during the morning hours of July 24th producing widespread wind damage.

Thunderstorms began developing during the late morning hours of July 1st across northern Illinois and continued into the early afternoon hours. Some of these thunderstorms organized into a powerful line that produced widespread wind damage across parts of north central Dupage County with wind speeds between 75 mph and 90 mph. Power outages in these areas lasted several days.

Powerful severe thunderstorms moved southeast across far northeast Illinois during the late evening hours of June 30th. Thousands of trees were blown down in eastern Lake County Illinois. Hail as large as baseballs fell across many areas of the city of Chicago.

A powerful line of severe thunderstorms moved northeast across northern Illinois during the evening hours of June 21st producing damaging winds and widespread wind damage.

A powerful and enormous winter storm moved across northern Illinois with blizzard conditions across much of the area which paralayzed the region. Light snow began falling across parts of northern Illinois during the moring hours of February 1st but the heavy snow associated with the main storm system spread north across central Illinois during the late morning hours of February 1st and then across northern Illinois by early afternoon. This snow quickly reduced visibilities to less than a mile and grew heavier by the evening rush hour, when several inches of snow had already accumulated. Winds also steadily increased during the afternoon hours with heavy snow and low visibilities creating blizzard conditions during the evening hours and lasting into the morning hours of February 2nd.||Thousands of motorists and their vehicles became stranded during the evening hours as conditions deteroiated and snow quickly accumulated. The National Guard was activated to assist stranded motorists traveling on interstates but large sections of interstates, including Interstate 80 and Interstate 39 were eventually closed. Many communities began assisting stranded motorists using plow trucks and many police officers began riding with plow truck drivers to repond to emergency calls because their cars were getting stuck in the snow. Many communities also had plow trucks escort ambulances and fire trucks. Other rescue personel used snowmobiles to respond to emergency calls.||On Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago, a bus became stuck in the snow, which caused traffic to quickly back up in the northbound lanes. As heavy snow continued to fall, combined with winds gusting as high as 55 mph, an estimated 1,000 vehicles became stuck in deep snow and deeper snow drifts. By mid evening, most of the motorists stuck on Lake Shore Drive needed to be rescued and evacuated by emergency personel. Over 200 motorists became stranded in Lake County with 30 cars stranded when a truck jackknifed near Route 45 and Illinois Highway 173. About 60 vehicles were stranded along a stretch of Route 47 in Kane County. Between 80 and 100 motorists were stranded along Busse Road in Elk Grove Village. Over 300 motorists needed assistance in Winnebago County, including 66 vehicles stuck in the snow. An additional 78 motorists needed assistance in Rockford, with 52 being stranded. Over 40 vehicles were found in ditches or left unoccupied in Boone County.||During the height of the storm from the evening of February 1st into the morning of February 2nd, many communities pulled their plow trucks off the roads out of concern for the safety of their drivers. Many communities declared roads closed to traffic with little hope of a rescue for anyone who ventured out into the blizzard and needed help. Whether roads were officially closed or not, most were impassible.||The high winds also blew down tree limbs and power lines causing numerous power outages. A building in Rochelle burned to the ground during the height of the blizzard but the cause was not known. The roof of a large indoor golf dome south of Frankfort was signficantly damaged by the heavy snow. A piece of the roof blew off of Wrigley Field. A portion of a garden center roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow in Naperville. Part of the roof of a church collapsed on Washington Boulevard in Chicago. On Sunday February 13th, a 10 foot section of brickwork on the parapet along the roof of a building collapsed on Westmore Avenue in Lombard. Heavy snow and ice slid into the parapet and knocked it down.||Snowfall removal costs including overtime for drivers, independent or private snow removal, was in the millions of dollars, per county. Many communities were seeking reimbursement of some of their costs from FEMA. Mail delivery and garbage collection was postponed in many areas on February 2nd.||Some of the highest snowfall totals from the blizzard include 21.1 inches five miles northwest of McHenry; 20.9 inches three miles southwest of Chicago Midway Airport; 20.8 inches two miles north of Spring Grove; 20.6 inches six miles northwest of St. Charles; 20.0 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport; 20.0 inches in Antioch; 20.0 inches one mile west of Beach Park; 20.0 inches one mile northwest of Ottawa; 20.0 inches six miles west northwest of Marseilles; 19.0 inches five miles west of Hoffman Estates; 19.0 inches in Park Forest; 18.0 inches in Elk Grove Village; 18.0 inches two miles north of Waukegan; 18.0 inches in Sheridan; 18.0 inches in Paw Paw; 17.9 inches in Naperville; 17.7 inches in Oak Brook; 17.5 inches in Lake Zurich; 17.3 inches in Alsip; 17.1 inches Genoa; 17.0 inches Barrington; 17.0 inches in Elburn; 17.0 inches Lisle; 17.0 inches in Homer Glen; 17.0 inches in Joliet; 16.5 inches five miles west of Watseka; 16.3 inches at the National Weather Service in Romeoville; 16.0 inches in Chatsworth; 16.0 inches in Dwight; 16.0 inches in Chicago Ridge; 15.7 inches in DeKalb; 15.3 inches in Hebron; 15.3 inches near Pontiac; 15.0 inches two miles east northeast of Geneva; 15.0 inches three miles north of Byron; 15.0 inches in Piper City and 14.0 inches at Rockford Airport.||Light snow fell across parts of northern Illinois on January 31st. Storm total amounts over the three day period from January 31st to February 2nd included 24.2 inches one and half miles west of Beach Park; 23.0 inches in Antioch; 21.7 inches three miles southwest of Chicago Midway Airport; 21.2 inches at Chicago O'Hare Airport; 17.1 inches at the National Weather Service office in Romeoville and 17.1 inches at Rockford Airport.

A strong winter storm moved across northern Illinois on December 11th and 12th, producing snowfall totals generally in the 1 to 3 inch range. As the storm moved east, very strong winds developed causing whiteout and near blizzard conditions in open areas. Winds were frequently gusting between 45 mph and 55 mph which also blew down tree limbs and power lines.||Hundreds of accidents, spin outs and vehicles in ditches were reported across the area. A 19 year old man was killed in a two car head-on accident on Route 26 north of Forreston in Ogle County on December 11th. Multiple crashes involving at least 14 cars near Hampshire in Kane County sent five people to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A car flipped over in Woodstock and its three occupants were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Record setting low pressure over Minnesota produced high winds across northern Illinois on October 26, behind a strong cold front which swept across the state during the morning. The high winds caused around 200,000 Commonwealth Edison customers to lose power. Five hundred flights were canceled at O'Hare Airport. The high winds blew down tree limbs and power lines across northern Illinois. ||Some peak wind gusts included; 71 mph near Dixon in Lee County, 62 mph at Waukegan Airport in Lake County, and 58 mph at Peru in LaSalle County. ||Damage reports included; 448 reports of trees damaged in Chicago as well as many traffic lights, street lights and poles; wind blew a cargo container at Rockford Airport, damaging a fence and two rental cars, tree limbs and power lines were down throughout Winnebago County; a tree limb was down on a road in Mt. Prospect and tree limbs were down on power lines in Des Plaines, both in Cook County; a tree was down on a car in Crystal Lake, a tree was on a house in Cary, and limbs were down in McHenry, all in McHenry County; a shed was blown into power lines in Waukegan in Lake County; 48 power poles were broken or bent over at Sedgewick and Cook Roads in Sandwich in DeKalb County; a tree was blown down on a car in Aurora and trees were down in Elgin, both in Kane County; tree limbs and power lines down in Mendota and a cupola blown off a church in Streator, both in LaSalle County; a large sign was damaged at a grocery store in Lombard in DuPage County.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved from Iowa into northwest Illinois during the mid afternoon hours and then raced east across northern Illinois producing damaging winds as high as 90 mph. These thunderstorms produced widespread wind and tree damage across northern Illinois. More than half a million customers lost power during the storms.

Strong winds developed over northern Illinois during the evening of October 6th and continued into the early morning hours of October 7th. Wind gusts were generally between 40 mph and 50 mph. A peak wind gust of 53 mph was measured at Midway Airport and a peak wind gust of 47 mph was measured at O'Hare Airport. Numerous tree limbs and power lines were blown down.

A small but strong area of low pressure moved across northern Illinois during the morning hours of May 9th. Strong northerly winds on the back side of this low pressure gusted between 45 mph and 50 mph. Peak wind gusts included 48 mph at Glenbard high school in Lombard, 48 mph at O'Hare Airport, 45 mph at Midway Airport, 44 mph at Chicago Excutive Airport in Wheeling and 44 mph at Dupage Airport. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down in some areas.

Strong winds gusted as high as 50 mph during the late evening of March 10th and early morning on March 11th. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down in some areas. Measured wind gusts included 48 mph in Lansing; 47 mph in Kankakee; 46 mph in Lynwood; 45 mph in Aurora and 45 mph in Peru.

Strong winds gusting as high as 45 mph blew down numerous tree limbs and power lines. A tree was blown down at 83rd and Yates in Chicago. The tree fell onto an SUV and injured five people inside the SUV. Another tree was completely uprooted at Scott and Astor Roads. The tree fell onto two cars.

A strong winter storm moved across northern Illinois during the late evening hours of December 18th into the morning of December 19th. Ice accumulations of one quarter to one half inch were reported across much of Livingston, Kankakee, Ford and Iroquois Counties. This ice accumulation caused numerous tree limbs and power lines to break, which also brought down utility poles. Power outages were widespread across these areas. A combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain fell across LaSalle, Grundy, Kendall, Will and southern Cook Counties where ice accumulations were around one quarter of an inch and sleet/snow accumulations ranged between one half and one inch. A combination of snow and sleet fell across Ogle, Lee, DeKalb, Kane, Dupage and much of Cook County where snow and accumulations ranged from 2 to 6 inches with sleet accumulations of one half inch. Heavy snow fell across Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, and Lake Counties where snowfall totals ranged between 6 and 9 inches. The snow, ice and sleet caused numerous vehicle accidents and spinouts.

A strong cold front moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon hours of October 26th. Part of a roof was blown off a building on South Dearborn Street in downtown Chicago. Debris fell onto an elevated train platform and on cars parked below. One woman suffered a minor ankle injury running to escape the falling debris. Numerous tree limbs and power lines were also blown down across Cook County. A wind gust to 61 mph was measured at West Chicago Airport in Dupage County.

A powerful line of thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the evening hours of August 4th. Widespread and significant wind damage was reported along with several brief tornadoes on the leading edge of this line of storms. Close to 550,000 customers lost power during these thunderstorms. In the City of Chicago, more than 4,400 trees suffered some amount of damage, 161 light poles were damaged and 252 power lines were blown down.

Strong to severe thunderstorms moved from eastern Iowa across northern Illinois during the morning hours of June 15th producing mainly wind damage. In the City of Chicago, more than 900 trees suffered some amount of damage, 29 light poles were damaged and 70 power lines were blown down.

An area of showers and thunderstorms began to weaken across northeast Illinois during the late afternoon and early evening of May 13th. As they dissipated, a wake low, or small scale area of low pressure, formed over Ogle and Lee Counties and then moved east across DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, southern McHenry and northern Cook Counties. Winds gusted between 50 and 60 mph in many locations, which blew down trees, tree limbs and power lines. A large tree was blown down onto a power line in Lake County. In Cook County, a wind gust to 59 mph was measured in Hoffman Estates and trees and powerlines were blown in Streamwood. In Kane County, a wind gust to 58 mph was measured in South Elgin. A large tree was blown down on a van in Elgin.

Strong winds occurred over most of northern Illinois during the late morning and early afternoon hours of May 11th. Winds gusted between 40 and 50 mph. In Iroquois County, a roof of a school was damaged in Sheldon. Tree limbs were blown down in Watseka, Onarga and Woodland. Powerlines were blown down across many parts of the county. In Cook County, strong winds which gusted between 40 and 50 mph caused many tree limbs and power lines to be blown down along with a few trees across the city of Chicago. One large tree was blown down onto a house on Courtland Avenue. In LaSalle County, a wind gust to 47 mph was measured at the Peru Airport. Winds gusted between 40 and 45 mph for much of the late morning hours of May 11th. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down along with damage to a barn on U.S. 34, west of Interstate 39.

A thin but powerful line of convection moved across northern Illinois during the early morning hours of December 23rd. Despite only a few bolts of lightning, these storms produced widespread wind damage across many areas with wind gusts as high as 70 mph.

Powerful and damaging thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois producing widespread wind damage. The most intense wind damage occurred along a path which began in far western Dupage County near the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Washington Street in West Chicago and continued east through the northern portions Lombard and Glen Ellyn, into Northlake, then across the north side of Chicago to the Lake Michigan Shore near Montrose Harbor. Wind damage along this path was consistent with winds 60 to 80 mph. Smaller pockets of more intense damage with winds of 80 to 100 mph were noted in the Wrigleyville area. The City of Chicago reported over 6,400 tree emergencies, over 200 damaged light poles, and over 350 downed power lines. A 40 inch diameter tree was blown down on West Waveland Street in Chicago. ComEd reported that a total of 615,000 customers lost power during the storms.

Strong winds developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon hours of June 7th. The Chicago Streets and Sanitation Department reported 884 damaged trees, 71 traffic signals out, 45 light poles damaged and 76 downed power lines. Trees and power lines were blown down in the surburbs as well. Wind gusts were as high as 45 mph.

Strong winds to 45 mph combined with low relative humidity to create danagerous fire conditions on May 24th. A fire started at an RV business in Bolingbrook near Interstate 55. The fire spread to a camper nearby. The fire produced thick, black smoke which was blown nearly horizontal across Interstate 55 by strong winds, causing it to be closed for an hour until the fire was brought under control.||A one square mile area in Harvey was leveled by fire. A brush fire started late in the morning near 156th Street and Lathrop Avenue. The fire quickly spread to buildings and was driven from rooftop to rooftop by winds as high as 45 mph. A thick, black plume of smoke was carried as far as 25 miles north of the fire. The fire also damaged some utility poles and power lines.

A mixed precipitation event developed over northern Illinois on February 25th. Only far northern Illinois near the Wisconsin border remained mainly snow. Wind gusts were frequently above 35 mph over much of the area, causing blizzard conditions across far northern Illinois where the snow fell. Numerous accidents were reported as well as downed power lines from ice accumulations and high winds.

A winter storm moved northeast across the southern great lakes region during the morning hours of December 1st. Heavy snow fell across northwest Illinois where 10 to 15 inches of snow was reported. Further southeast toward the Interstate 55 corridor, the snow mixed with sleet with some areas reporting up to an inch of sleet before changing over to snow, with amounts of 3 to 6 inches. Southeast of the Kankakee river, mainly rain was reported with a little freezing rain and sleet mixed in at times, which brought down tree limbs and power lines in some areas. A 70 mile section of Interstate 80, from Interstate 55 west to the Iowa border was closed due to numerous accidents and stranded motorists. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources had to use snowmobiles to bring food and gas to the stranded motorists.

Strong winds blew across northeast Illinois during the morning of March 13th. A roof under construction collapsed in Antioch in Lake County, injuring four construction workers, one seriously. An awning was blown off a restaurant in Gurnee and struck a car. Part of another roof under construction was blown down in Prospect Heights. Streets were closed in Evanston due to flying construction debris. One construction worker was injured when he was struck in the head by flying debris. Part of Michigan Avenue was closed in downtown Chicago because of a piece of aluminum that came loose from a hotel. Winds gusted between 50 mph and 55 mph. At least 17,000 electricity customers lost power due to numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines blown down across the area.

Another strong area of low pressure moved across northern Illinois during the evening of Tuesday November 15th, 2005 and during the early morning of Wednesday November 16th, 2005. A semi truck rolled over on Interstate 57, just south of Kankakee. The semi was attempting to pass a pickup truck pulling a small trailer when a strong wind caused the pickup to swerve toward the semi. The semi swerved to avoid a collision but lost control and flipped onto it's side, injuring the driver. Part of a roof was blown off a housing complex in Chicago on South Wells Street. A 15 year old and a man were injured by debris from the roof. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down across parts of northern Illinois. Wind gusts were generally between 40 mph and 50 mph with Chicago Midway Airport measuring a gust to 51 mph.

A very strong area of low pressure moved across the midwest and western Great Lakes Saturday November 12th and Sunday, November 13th. Although no observing locations measured winds to 50 knots, there were several reports of damage from the high winds. A 55 foot tall maple tree was blown down in Arlington Heights. Part of the tree landed on a roof but did not cause any damage. In Evanston, cars were damaged by trees and tree limbs that were blown over. In Berwyn, walls from a condominium construction site toppled onto a bar next door, causing major structual damage to the bar. A steel canopy at a Citgo service station in Waukegan was blown down on top of two gas pumps. The canopy was blown across the ground until city public works crews were able to anchor it with snow plows. In Wauconda, four homes were damaged by fire due to electrical equipment malfunctions, likely caused by the high winds. Damage to the four houses was estimated at $65,000. West Chicago Dupage Airport and FermiLab both measured a gust to 53 mph. Several locations measured gusts between 40 mph and 50 mph. Tree limbs and power lines were blown down across many areas in far northern Illinois. More than 130,000 customers lost power during the high winds.

On Monday January 3, a deep low pressure system tracked out of the Southern Plains. This system then moved through the middle Mississippi Valley. As the low center tracked northeast, it brought a band of heavy snow to northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. This system also brought a wintery mix of freezing rain and sleet to central Illinois and central Indiana. Snowfall accumulations of six to 12 inches fell across portions of the region north of a line from Portage, Indiana to Mendota, Illinois. Locations south of the Kankakee River in Illinois and Indiana as well as south of a Kankakee to Streator line in Illinois received up to 3/4 inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain and sleet. One to two inches of snow also fell in these locations.Iroquois County:1/2 to 3/4 inches of ice accumulation on trees and roads in Milford. Large tree branches were reported down and power outages were reported.Livingston:Several cars reported in ditches due to ice covered roads.Ford:Power lines down on Rt. 47 due to 1/4 inch ice accumulationSnow Accumulation Reports:Winnebago:8.9 inches 4 miles NW of Rockford7.8 inches at Rockford AirportBoone:8.0 inches 2 miles NW of BelvidereMcHenry:8.5 inches in McHenryLake:11.9 inches at Grayslake.Ogle:12.0 inches at OregonLee:9.0 inches at Paw PawDe Kalb:8.4 inches at Northern Illinois University in De KalbKane:8.0 inches in St. CharlesDuPage:12.3 inches at WheatonCook:9.8 inches at O'Hare AirportKendall:5.5 inches 2 miles SE of YorkvilleWill:6.5 inches in Joliet

During the morning hours of July 21, a cold front extended from northcentral Wisconsin southwestward through northwestern Iowa. Ahead of the cold front, over the upper midwest, a very humid, unstable airmass had set up. By late morning, a small cluster of thunderstorms had developed over northwestern Illinois. These storms tracked into northcental Illinois, reaching their peak intensity over Ogle County, producing wind gusts up to 58 mph and causing isolated incidents of damage to trees. This storm cluster then weakend as it moved eastward.By early afternoon, more thunderstorms began to develop over northeastern Illinois. A small area of strong thunderstorms initially developed over Kane and western Will Counties and rapidly developed into a line of severe storms extending over the Chicago metro area. The line of storms rapidly moved through Du Page, Cook and Will Counties and into northwestern Indiana. These storms left a path of wind damage over southern portions of the Chicago metro area and into rural sections of northwestern Indiana. Strong wind gusts were also measured by coastal observing stations of Lake Michigan. Numerous incidents of wind damage were observed, with a considerable number of trees knocked down or large limbs torn from trees. Power poles were knocked down over many locations. While the primary threat was strong winds, there were also isolated reports of penny to nickel sized hail as well.

On the afternoon of June 10, a warm front cut through northern Illinois. Heavy rains associated with this front moved slowly through northeastern Illinois, concentrated mainly in the Chicago metro area where one to two inches of rain fell. Widespread flooding was reported over urbanized areas of Cook and Will Counties. Following the pasage of the warm front, northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana were in a very warm, unstable environment and additional thunderstorms developed. These thunderstorms produced isolated incidents of large hail and strong wind gusts which caused damage, primarily to trees and power lines.

A strong low pressure system and associated frontal system moved cross Iowa, Southern Wisconsin, across Lake Michigan and into Michigan. Strong winds behind the front gusted as high as 69 mph in Carperntersville, in Kane County Illinois. Several reports in excess of 55 mph were recorded across northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. Power outages hit over 100,000 homes in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

Strong low pressure moved across the upper midwest and the upper great lakes during the afternoon and evening hours of November 13th. A strong cold front from this low moved across northern Illinois during the early afternoon hours. Winds increased to 40 to 50 mph across northern Illinois with gusts as high as 60 mph. Trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down across many parts of northern Illinois. The AWOS equipment at Morris and Pontiac both recorded peak wind gusts to 59 mph. The AWOS in Peru measured a peak wind gust to 58 mph. A large tree fell onto a house near Crystal Lake in McHenry county causing significant damage to the house. A pontoon boat was blown off its trailer near Polo along Route 26 in Ogle county. A garage door was blown off a garage in Joliet in Will county. Several utility poles were broken near Essex in Kankakee county. A man suffered minor injuries when the high winds blew bricks off a building on the North side of Chicago in Cook county. Another woman suffered minor injuries when a tree fell on the car she was driving in Oswego in Kendall county. Over 100,000 customers lost power during the high winds.

Severe thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon hours of August 1st across the Chicago Metro Area. The storms produced dozens of reports of large hail as well as wind damage. Minor hail damage was reported to roofs and house trim in Streamwood. A large tree was blown down on Madelyn Drive in Des Plaines. Tree limbs were blown down in Bloomingdale and trees were blown down in Lombard, where one tree fell onto a house. Tree limbs were blown down in Elmhurst and trees and large limbs were blown down in Glen Ellyen, both in Dupage county. Several trees were blown down on the south side of the city of Chicago. A two foot diameter tree limb was blown down in Worth in Cook county. The tree limb destroyed a camper. Winds gusted to 70 mph in Lansing where many trees were blown down and a barn was destroyed. A wind gust to 60 mph was reported in Marseilles and large tree limbs were blown down in Seneca, both in LaSalle county. Tree limbs were blown down in Bolingbrook and trees were blown down in Channahon, both in Will county. A roof of a stage was blown down at the Joliet race track where the stage was being built for a concert. Trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down across many parts of Grundy county. Power lines were blown down in Leland in LaSalle county. In addition to the hail and wind damage, flooding was also reported across Route 47 in Morris and parts of Grundy county received 2 to 3 inches of rain. Minor flooding was reported across parts of Kane, Dupage and Cook counites as well.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved east across north central Illinois during the early afternoon hours of July 27th. Additional thunderstorms developed ahead of the first line across the southern portions of the Chicago Metro area producing very heavy rain and widespread flooding. As the first line of severe storms reached Lee county, numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Amboy in Lee county. Trees were blown down onto houses in West Brooklyn, also in Lee county. Winds as high as 65 mph blew down trees, large tree limbs and power lines across many locations in La Salle county. Trees were blown down in La Salle. Trees were uprooted near Lake Holiday in far northeast La Salle county. Large tree limbs were blown down in Mendota, Norway and one mile east of Serena. A grain bin was crushed and partially lifted off its base in Ottawa and a tree fell onto a car in Seatonville, both in LaSalle county. Wind damage was widespread across Kendall county as well. Trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Plano, Newark and Oswego as well as many rural parts of the county. Trees were blown down blocking Illinois Route 71 west of Oswego. Trees 20 inches in diameter were blown down southeast of Plano along Lynwood Drive. Southwest of Plano, a large tree limb fell onto a roof and broke a skylight. Winds gusted to 74 mph in Sandwich in De Kalb county, where numerous large trees were blown down or uprooted and a 20 inch diameter tree fell onto house. Several trees and tents were blown down at an Antique show in Sandwich in DeKlab county where one person suffered a broken arm and another was hit in the head by a falling tent pole. Canopies were also blown off of stores in Sandwich. A two and a half foot diameter tree was snapped at its base in Morris in Grundy county. A gust to 60 mph was reported in Naperville in Will county. A one foot diameter tree was snapped in half on Winthrop Street, east of Larkin and north of Black Roads in Joliet. Large tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Kankakee. A tree fell onto power lines in Sheldon in Iroquois county.In addition to the strong winds and wind damage, very heavy rain fell across much of Will and southern Cook counties. Most of the rain fell in a two hour period with 5.00 inches reported in Shorewood, 4.90 inches at the National Weather Service office in Romeoville, 4.10 inches in Midlothian, 4.00 inches in Joliet, 3.56 inches in Orland Park, 3.50 inches in Plainfield and South Holland, and 2.05 inches in Plano in Kendall county. Widespread street flooding was reported across all of north and central Will and southern Cook counties and many homes and businesses suffered water and flood damage. Retention ponds were flooded and backing up into yards and streets in Plainfield in Will county. Creeks were overflowing their banks in Midlothian in Cook county. Several roads had two to four feet of standing water and were impassible, some roads were partially washed away. Several cars were submerged at the intersection of Lagrange and Nebraska streets in Frankfort in Will county. A Will county sheriff's car was destroyed when it pulled into a flooded subdivision and sank. Several people had to be rescued from their cars after becoming trapped by flood waters in Frankfort, Lockport, Joliet, and Plainfield in Will county. A creek bridge was washed away in Lockport township. A man indirectly died from the flooding after walking into his flooded basement and being shocked because the water was in contact with electricity. An alley between Illinois and Main Streets in Lemont in Cook county was partially washed away by fast flowing water. 100 homes and 13 businesses were flooded in Lemont. Flood waters surrounded several buildings in Tinely Park. A 15 foot berm was washed away in unicorpated Palos Township which caused massive street and basement flooding in the Sandberg Glen subdivision. Street flooding was also reported in Plano in Kendall county.

Thunderstorms developed during the evening hours of July 20th across parts of northern Illinois and continued into the early morning hours of July 21st. Winds gusted to 60 to 65 mph across parts of Cook county. An estimated 300 to 400 tress were damaged or blown down in Evergreen Park. One of the trees fell onto a house in Evergreen Park. An estimated 50 mature trees were blown down in Naperville. One of the trees destroyed a backyard playhouse. A gust to 60 mph was reported in Woodridge in Dupage county, which blew down some tree limbs. By late evening, thunderstorms redeveloped over parts of northern Illinois producing severe hail. The largest hail reported was golf ball size hail in Kankakee. A building suffered roof and structural damage in Ashton in Lee county from winds as high as 75 mph. Trees were blown down southwest of Polo in Ogle county along Illinois Route 26. A gust to 64 mph was reported in Sandwich in Dekalb county. A tree fell onto a house in Mt. Prospect causing some roof damage and lightning hit a mobile home in Elk Grove Village, which blew out the home's wiring and started a fire. Trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Sheridan in La Salle county. Trees and large limbs were blown down in Melvin in Ford county and windows were blown out of some buildings in Melvin. Two trees were blown down in New Lenox in Will county where a woman was trapped in her car, but not injured. Trees and large tree limbs were blown down in Fairbury in Livingston county. Minor flooding was reported in Joliet in Will county.

Severe thunderstorms formed across far northern Illinois during the afternoon hours of July 17th and moved south across the Chicago Metro area through the evening. Several dozen reports of hail were received during these thunderstorms. Trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across many areas including Glenwood and Chicago in Cook county. Winds gusted to as high as 90 mph at 183rd and Halstead Roads in Lansing in Cook county. Lansing was hit the hardest with trees, tree limbs and power lines blown down across much of the city. Large tree limbs were also blown down in Steger in Cook county and damaged a house. Several trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down from Steger to Crete in Will county. Thunderstorms redeveloped later in the evening and moved south producing more hail. A wind gust to 70 mph was reported in Plainfield in Will county. Small trees were blown down 7 miles southeast of Oswego toward the Kendall Will county line. Numerous trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Bradley and Kankakee in Kankakee county. A gust to 60 mph was reported in Chatsworth in Livingston county. Winds gusted to 70 mph in Watseka where several trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down. Two of the trees fell onto houses in Watseka causing damage to each building. Minor flooding of some streets and low lying areas was reported across southern Cook county.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast into northern Illinois from Wisconsin during the early morning hours of Tuesday July 15th. Several trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down across northeast Winnebago county. A woman was trapped in her home near Roscoe from fallen power lines that surrounded her home. Four 35 foot light posts were blown down and two construction trailers were damaged near Prairie Rose. A large metal roof was ripped off a building in Roscoe. Numerous trees were blown down in Belvidere in Boone county. Large tree limbs were blown down in Crystal Lake in McHenry County and large tree limbs were blown down in Franklin Park in Cook county. A lightning strike damaged several pieces of equipment at the Batavia Emergency Service Center. Power lines were blown down in Carpentersville in Kane county. A gust to 62 mph was reported on the west side of Chicago. Winds gusted to 70 mph across Joliet and Plainfield in Will county. Several trees, large tree limbs and power lines were blown down and a construction trailer was demolished near Shorewood. Hail was reported across many locations of Northern Illinois with the largest hail reported across Will county. There was also minor flooding reported across parts of Joliet in Will county and along Route 47 near Morris in Grundy county. Rainfall ranged between one and two inches in less than an hour across parts of Will and Grundy counties. Lightning struck a wooden storage shed in Naperville in Dupage county. The shed contained tools, copper tubing and other materials that were quickly consumed by fire.

A line of thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois producing wind damage during the morning of July 7th. A tree and limbs were blown down north of Byron in Ogle county. Farm Service Agency reported a swath of corn flattened by winds south of Ashton to near Reynolds Road in Lee county. Tree limbs were blown down in Genoa in DeKalb county. Trees and power lines were blown down in Boone county. Officials estimated winds to 70 mph in Marengo where utility poles were bent over. A large tree limb fell onto a house in Huntley. Power lines were blown down along Hill Avenue in Aurora. A large tree was blown down on Route 126 in Plainfield in Will county. Large limbs were also down in Joliet. In Cook county, a spotter measured a 61 mph wind gust in Midlothian and limbs were blown down in Alsip. A large tree fell in Stickney in Cook county, knocking down power lines and damaging three cars. A few trees were blown down in Yorkville and Oswego in Kendall county. Lightning struck a tree 15 to 20 feet from a home in Riverwoods in Lake county. It is unclear how the lightning started a fire in the home, but the lightning may have traveled to the house by underground wires. The home was destroyed by the fire.

Strong thunderstorms, some supercells, developed over northeast Illinois from early afternoon through early evening in a very unstable airmass. The first storm pounded Kankakee county with hail up to golfball size. Other storms quickly developed in northern Cook, and in McHenry and Lake counties. Golfball size hail hit the areas of Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, and Deerfield along Lake-Cook Road. The hail damaged police cars and cracked the windshield of a vehicle in Wheeling. A car was dented in Deerfield. This storm also blew down tree limbs in Deerfield. Another storm in Ottawa in LaSalle county produced hail the size of golfballs, injuring a person at Chambers and Glover Streets. 60 mph winds in and near Ottawa damaged corn crops and blew tree limbs down on the road. A bolt of lightning struck a tree in Ottawa causing the tree to fall onto a fence and pool which were damaged. A storm dropped hail in southern Grundy and southwest Will counties. Hail damaged crops from north and east of Kinsman to just west of Verona, just east of Mazon, north and east of Gardner, and north of Morris in Grundy county. Trees, large limbs and power lines were blown down in Gardner. Hail also fell from near Wilmington in Will county into Kankakee county near Essex. Another storm in northern Will county dropped hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter from the far west side of Joliet and Plainfiled near Drauden and Caton Farm, across I-55 and Route 30, to I-55 and Weber Road in Romeoville and Bolingbrook. This storm also caused tree damage in Lemont in Cook county. Later in the afternoon a storm dropped hail 1 to 2 inches in diameter across DuPage county. Some locations included Army Trail and Gary in Bloomingdale, 2 miles north of Route 64 and 59 in West Chicago, Route 83 and Grand in Addison, Glendale Heights, Wheaton and Lombard. The biggest hail report was 2 inches at Carol Stream. Other storms produced hail near Ashkum in Iroquois county and into northwest Indiana. Storms produced more hail in southern Cook and northern Will counties in the early evening before ending. Tree branches were also blown down around Orland Park and Oak Forest.

A long lived line of severe thunderstorms, known as a derecho, moved from Iowa into northern Illinois early in the morning of Saturday July 5. The storm caused widespread damage to trees and power lines in Ogle county. The most intense damage occurred in Winnebago county, as the storm cut a wide swath from Pecatonica to the west side of Rockford, through downtown Rockford, to the southeast side of the city and Cherry Valley. Near Pecatonica corn was flattened and trees were damaged. In Rockford, many large trees were uprooted or snapped. Many limbs and power lines were down. 80,000 customers were without power. A 731 foot TV tower and antenna was blown down by the wind near Meridian and Auburn Roads. The tower was valued at 1.5 to 2 million dollars. The storm also cost the city of Rockford over 1 million dollars in clean up of trees on city property. An annemometer on the west side of Rockford clocked a 104 mph wind gust. The storms also caused tree damage in Belvidere in Boone county, Crystal Lake in McHenry county, and Libertyville in Lake county. A 67 mph gust was measured in Libertyville. As the storms moved into the Chicago area, a well defined line developed and moved southeast through the metro area. High winds and tree damage were reported in Kane, DuPage and Cook counties. In Kane county a retired meteorologist reported 70 mph winds in St. Charles. In DuPage county trees were damaged in Lisle, Downers Grove and Clarendon Hills. The storm hit hard on the southwest side of Chicago from 44th and Marshfield, through Washington Park to Jackson Park at 63rd and the Lakefront. Large trees were blown down and buildings were damaged. Chicago emergency management officials reported nearly 500 trees downed or damaged, and 68 homes and businesses damaged, 8 of them uninhabitable. The roof was taken off a Park District building and a brick commercial building was destroyed. Stackable containers at a railroad yard were blown over. Damages to this area were estimated to be at least 5 million dollars. Winds were likely 90 mph or more. A wind gust to 88 mph was measured in Chicago Lawn with handheld equipment. Trees were also damaged in south suburban Midlothian. A 90 foot tall, 3 foot diameter Oak tree that was estimated to be 273 years old, possibly the oldest tree in Chicago, was blown down.

Several supercell thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the evening hours of May 30th. Several tornadoes formed with these supercells with the strongest tornadoes and most extensive damage across Joliet and Lockport in Will counties. In addition to the tornadoes, wind damage was also reported across the area. Trees were blown down in Silver Springs State Park west of Yorkville in Kendall county. Trees and power lines were reported down in Somonauk in Dekalb county. Several trees and power lines were blown down near Lake Holiday in far northwest La Salle county and windows were blown out of some mobile homes near the Lake Holiday area. Large trees and power lines were blown down from Plainfield to Joliet. One tree fell onto a house. A gust to 80 mph was reported between Central Ave and Cicero Ave near 53rd in Chicago. Trees were reported down in Manteno in Kankakee county. Tree limbs were blown down across parts of McHenry county. In Paxton in Ford county, high winds damaged a farm shed, causing the roof to fall onto a tractor. A large tree fell onto a van, causing significant damage and the roof of a grain bin was damaged.

Severe thundestorms developed during the afternoon hours of May 28th and quickly moved southeast across northern and eastern Illinois. Trees and power lines were reported down across many areas. Will county was one of the hardest hit areas. In Bolingbrook, 16 homes were damaged on Saffron and Sparrow streets and Timber Mill Court, by winds over 70 mph, flying debris and falling trees. In Plainfield in Will county, 60 feet of a 100 foot tall radio tower fell over and had to be replaced. Many trees were also blown down in the Plainfield area. In addition to the wind damage, hail was reported across many locations in Will county. In Dupage county, three foot diameter trees and several utility poles were blown down one mile east of the intersection of Route 38 and Route 59. A tractor trailer was blown over at Route 59 and Ferry road just west of Naperville in Dupage county. In Aurora in Kane county, large trees blocked South Lincoln Avenue near Spring Lake Cemetery. A large tree was also blown down at Park and Madison streets in Batavia in Kane county. Kankakee in Kankakee county also suffered wind damage. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the city. Severeal tractor trailers were blown over and a car was total by a fallen tree. In addition to the severe winds and hail, a few weak tornadoes were also reported. In Morris in Grundy county, winds damaged tree limbs and blew around corn stalks and other debris.

Strong winds gusted to 58 mph and blew down numerous trees and power lines across parts of northern Illinois on May 11th. Power outages occurred throughout the area. Several trees were blown down on the northwest side of Rochelle in Ogle county. The De Kalb Airport recorded a gust to 58 mph at 205 pm CST. Several large trees were blown down in Lansing in Cook county. Minor damage was reported from falling limbs on cars in Skokie in Cook county. Many other smaller trees and tree limbs were blown down across the entire area from the high winds. Several windows were blown out of a 30th floor of a building at 100N Jefferson in Chicago. A small hanger was flipped over near Burlington in Kane county. The hanger was made with metal support rods and a plastic/canvas material.

Severe thunderstorms moved northeast across northern Illinois during the late evening hours of May 10th. Penny size hail was reported along U.S. 38 near Cortland in Dekalb county and along U.S. 38 near Maple Park in Kane county. Several reports of wind damage were reported in Plainfield and Joliet in Will county. Three utility poles were snapped off in Plainfield and two cars were damaged by falling trees. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. A gust to 75 mph was reported at Interstate 55 and Plainfield/Naper Road. A funnel cloud was reported at Route 53 and Interstate 88 in Lisle in Dupage county. In De Kalb county, trees were reported down in Waterman and roof shingles were reported blown off in Lee, about 3.5 miles northwest of Shabbona. In Livingston county, several utility poles were snapped along Historic Route 66 across from Interstate 55 mile marker 207, just south of Odell. In Schaumburg in Cook county, numerous trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down, a construction trailer was overturned and a metal shed was destroyed. Many reports of hail up to the size of half dollars were received. Large trees were blown down in Coal City in Grundy county.

A wave of thunderstorms moved across northern Illinois during the afternoon hours of April 30th producing severe hail. A second wave of Thunderstorms developed over eastern Iowa and west central Illinois and moved east across northern Illinois late in the evening of April 30th. A supercell moved east toward La Salle county producing a funnel cloud near La Salle. The storm eventually merged with additional storms forming a squall line which produced hail and wind damage. A TV antenna and small limbs were blown down in Cedar Point in La Salle county. Power lines were blown down in Dwight. Numerous power outages were reported.

A cold front moved across northern Illinois during that late morning and early afternoon hours of October 4th, 2002. A tight pressure gradient followed behind the cold front producing wind speeds between 30 and 45 mph, with some gusts between 50 and 60 mph. Trees were blown down in Machesney Park in Winnebago county which also knocked down power lines. A barn and grain bins were destroyed by high winds in Popular grove in Boone County. In Elgin in Kane county, several trees were blown down. One downed tree also knocked down power lines that fell onto occupied vehicles. No one was injured, but three people were trapped in their car until the power was turned off. Light weight scaffolding was blown off a building producing minor damage to six cars in Cook county. Several trees, branches and power lines were blown down across Cook county.

During the afternoon hours of June 10th, pulse thunderstorms developed in a moist and unstable atmosphere. An approaching shortwave along with low level winds of 35 knots, allowed these thunderstorms to produce wet microbursts. Some of these microbursts produced significant wind damage. In Hampshire in Kane county, a semi truck and a few cars were blown off route 20, 3/8 of mile west of Big Timber road. Trees and power lines were also blown down. During the evening hours, dozens of large tress and power lines were blown down in Wheaton in Dupage county where winds were estimated at 65 to 70 mph. In addition to the strong winds, heavy rain produced minor street flooding across parts of Chicago and Cook county.

Severe thunderstorms developed over northern Illinois during the early afternoon hours of June 4th and moved southeast. Numerous trees, large limbs, and power lines were blown down, in addition to a few reports of large hail. One thunderstorm moved east across northern Livingstion county and produced a tornado near Ancona. The same thunderstorm produced a second tornado near Manville. Both tornadoes were weak (F0) and touched down in fields, with no damage or injuries reported from either tornado. Outflow from these thunderstorms destroyed four farm buildings near Ashkum in Iroquois county.

A strong winter storm moved into the Ohio Valley on January 30th. Snow began falling during the morning hours...especially along and south of Interstate 80 where 2 to 5 inches fell. Heavier snow began falling north of Interstate 80 during the evening hours and continued into the early morning hours of January 31st. Snowfall totals were mainly between 6 and 10 inches from Interstate 80 north. The heaviest snow fell in Dupage and Cook counties. Downers Grove in Dupage county received the most snow with 13.1 inches. Ohare Airport received 12.0 inches. The snow caused numerous car accidents.Across Livingston, Kankakee, southern Will, and southern Grundy counties, snowfall amounts were lighter, generally 2 to 5 inches. However, these areas received one quarter inch of ice from freezing rain during the early morning hours of January 31st. Many utility poles, power lines, trees and tree limbs were knocked down by the ice causing several power outages.

A strong low pressure moved northeast across the Great Lakes region late on October 24th and early October 25th resulting in a strong pressure gradient across northern Illinois. Several trees, power lines, and utility poles were blown down. Trees and power lines were blown down across all of Dupage and Cook counties, including the city of Chicago. A wind gust to 59 mph was recorded at Midway Airport in Chicago. A wall of cinder blocks was blown over injuring two construction workers in Lincolnwood in Cook county. Another brick wall was blown over in Buffalo Grove in Lake county where four cars were heavily damaged. A steelworker was blown off an I-beam and suffered minor injuries at a construction site in South Elgin in Kane county. A utility pole was snapped in Crest Hill in Will county. Trees and powerlines were blown down in Geneva in Kane county, Dixon in Lee county, and Rockford in Winnebago county. A large tree fell on a house in Algonquin in McHenry county damaging the roof. An estimated 30,000 customers lost power.

Isolated severe thunderstorms developed across northern Illinois during the morning of October 24th ahead of a strong cold front. As the cold front moved east into northern Illinois, the thunderstorms formed a squall line and began to produce widespread wind damage across northeast and eastern Illinois. During the morning, thunderstorms produced nickel size hail in Cook county, quarter size hail in Dekalb county and nickle size hail in McHenry and Kane counties.As the thunderstorms formed into a squall line, a tree was blown down in Pontiac in Livingston county. In Ford county, a utility pole was blown down in Elliott, part of a roof was blown off a house in Paxton, and a barn was blown down killing a horse near Melvin. In Kankakee county, trees and power lines were reported down across the entire county. In Bourbonnais in Kankakee county, a roof was blown off a bakery and a wall at a construction site was blown over. A wind gust of 60 mph was recorded in Bonfield. In Will county, trees and power lines were blown down in Crete and a semi was overturned in Petone. In Cook county, trees and power lines were blown down across the southern part of the county. Windows were broken at three businesses in Chicago Heights. In addition to the wind damage, many reports of minor street flooding were reported across Dupage and Cook counties.For Marine reports, see StormData October 2001, Lake Michigan.

A line of thunderstorms moved south into northern Illinois from Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening of Wednesday, August 22nd. Hail was reported in Herbert in Boone county, Carpentersville in Kane county, and Morton Grove in Cook county. A wind gust to 70 mph was reported in Hampshire in Kane county while trees and power lines were reported down in Morton Grove in Cook county. Hail was also reported in Fairbury in Livingston county. Several roads had minor flooding from heavy rain in Rolling Meadows in Cook county.

A line of strong thunderstorms moved southeast from Wisconsin into Northern Illinois during the evening hours of Thursday, August 9th. These thunderstorms mainly blew down trees and power lines at the following locations: Across all of Ogle and McHenry counties; Fox Lake and Wauconda in Lake county; two miles east of Sycamore in DeKalb county; Dundee, Carpentersville, and Aurora in Kane county; Barrington in Cook county; Earlville in LaSalle county; Coal City in Grundy county; and Beecher in Will county. In Bourbonnais in Kankakee county, a 20 foot by 120 foot metal framed storage building was picked up and carried 10 feet. It landed on 9 parked vehicles. The storage building was a total loss and all nine vehicles suffered major damage. A 16 year old boy was struck by lightning at golf course in Capron in Boone county, the boy died two days later on August 11th. Over 50,000 customers lost power during the storms.

Thunderstorms developed over northern Cook county between 6 and 7 am on the morning of Thursday August 2nd. The storms slowly moved southeast across central and eastern Cook county. The thunderstorms began to move out of southern Cook county between 10 and 11 am. Rain was falling at the rate of 3 to 4 inches per hour at some locations.Areas that had significant flooding include the Edens expressway at Pratt, where 6 to 8 feet of water covered the interstate and 3 cars were submerged. The Edens was closed from Touhy to Peterson. The Dan Ryan was closed and flooded between 83rd and 87th. Hubbard's cave was flooded and impassible. The underground parking garage at The Museum of Science and Industry was flooded and closed. Eisenhower at Kennedy had 3 to 4 feet of water covering the interstates. The Metra station at Van Buren was closed for a few hours due to flooding in one of the tunnels. Lakeshore Drive at Foster was flooded. Several people had to be rescued from their vehicles. 228 vehicles were reported to have been towed from flooded roads or viaducts. Many other smaller intersections and viaducts across the city of Chicago and parts of Cook county were flooded and impassible. No injuries were reported from the flooding.The Illinois Emergency Management Agency indicated that nearly 10,000 homes suffered some type of water damage during this event. Some rainfall totals include: 3.50 inches in Chicago between 730 am and 830 am, 3.58 inches at Burbank between 8 am and 11 am. Storm total rainfall was 4.78 inches at Chicago's Loop, 3.95 inches at Skokie, 3.95 inches at Wilmette, 3.50 inches at Wrigleyville, 3.41 inches at Willow Springs, 3.04 inches at Burr Ridge, 2.32 inches at Park Forest and 1.89 inches at Olympia fields. A 93 mile tunnel used to hold rain water during periods of heavy rain filled in just over an hour, holding approximately 1.6 billion gallons of water. The Chicago Park District opened locks at Wilmette and downtown Chicago to allow rain water to flow directly into Lake Michigan.In addition to the flooding, numerous reports of power lines and tree limbs blown down were received all across Cook county. Estimated wind speeds were between 40 and 50 mph. 56,000 customers lost power at the height of the storms.

A line of thunderstorms moved southeast from southern Wisconsin into northern Illinois during the late afternoon of Sunday July 22nd. The line of thunderstorms interacted with a lake breeze moving west through Cook county from Lake Michigan. Most of the damage from these storms was in the form of trees and limbs down and power lines down which were received from: Belvidere and Capron in Boone county; Richmond, Crystal Lake and McHenry in McHenry county; Barrington and Elk Grove Village in Cook county; Wauconda and Grayslake in Lake county; Lombard in Dupage county; Yorkville in Kendall county; Aurora in Kane county; Bradley in Kankakee county and Streator in La Salle county. Trees were reported down on a car in Elmhurst in Dupage county at 1545 CST. A waterspout developed on the leading edge of this line of thunderstorms as it moved southeast across Lake county in Illinois one mile east of Winthrop Harbor. No injuries or damage were reported from this waterspout. 50,000 people lost power across the Chicago area during the storms. A 49 year old woman was struck by lightning around 1500 CST while walking through Miller Meadow in Maywood. The woman died from extensive burns the next day.

Thunderstorms formed along a lake breeze in northeast Illinois during the late afternoon and evening of Saturday, July 21st. Trees were blown down in Monee in Will county at 1710 CST. One 12 inch diameter tree was blown down in Orland Park in Cook county at 1740 CST and numerous trees were blown down in Tinley Park at 1745 CST. Trees were also blown down east of Beaverville and east of Askkum in Iroquois county. Approximately 30,000 customers lost power from the storms. Lightning struck a house in Tinley Park and ignited the roof on fire, causing significant damage to the roof.But the main damage from these thunderstorms was torrential rainfall. The heaviest rain fell across southwest Cook county, extreme northeast Will county and central Dupage county. Water burst through a basement foundation in Tinley Park in Cook county. Water filled the basement and topped out at 6 feet, 11 inches deep. Several homes in Orland Park and Tinley Park had 2 to 4 feet of water in basements. Streets were also flooded in these areas. In Dupage county, one foot of water was reported across Main Street in Wheaton and the road was closed. Other roads had standing water. Some rainfall totals from this event include 3.08 inches in Olympia Fields, 2.79 inches in Park Forest, 2.30 inches in Winfield, and 2.03 inches in Glenwood. There were no reports of injuries.

A line of thunderstorms developed in west central and northwest Illinois during the late afternoon and early evening of Thursday June 14th. This line raced eastward across north central and northeast Illinois. The main damage from this line of storms was in the form of trees and limbs down, as well as power lines and utility poles down. Locations where these reports were received include: Dixon in Lee county; Triumph and Mendota in La Salle county; Rochelle in Ogle county; across all of Winnebago county; Newark in Kendall county; Kirkland in De Kalb county; Harvard in McHenry county; Belvidere in Boone county; across all of Kane county; Frankfort in Will county; Lincolnshire in Lake county; and Franklin Park and Matteson in Cook county.Windows were blown out of a house from high winds in Mendota in La Salle county at 1855 CST. A 100 foot tall tower was blown down in Rockford in Winnebago county at 1910 CST. A large tree limb crushed the roof and broke out the windshield of a car in Fountain Creek in Iroquois county at 1930 CST. Also in Fountain Creek, an electric box was ripped off a house when power lines came down and heavy wooden playground set was torn out of the ground and pushed into a fence. A utility pole with a transformer was blown down 2 miles north of Lincolnshire in Lake county at 2005 CST. About 12,000 customers lost power in the greater Rockford area with about 40,000 customers losing power in Chicago and the suburbs. Some funnel clouds were reported on the leading edge of the line of storms as it moved east. The thunderstorms weakened over northeast Illinois shortly after 8 pm CST. No injuries were reported from the storms.

A large bow echo moved southeast from Wisconsin into northeast Illinois late on Monday June 11th. Wind speeds were measured as high as 84 mph in the city of Chicago at 2345 CST. Most damage was in the form of trees and limbs down, as well as power lines and utility poles down. Locations where these reports were received include: Belvidere in Boone county; Antioch and Highland Park in Lake county; Woodstock, Cary, Fox River Grove, and Harvard in McHenry county; across all of Kane county; De Kalb in De Kalb County; Barrington, Palos Hills, and Chicago in Cook county; across all of Dupage county; and Naperville and Plainfield in Will county.A large tree limb fell on a parked car with one man sitting inside the car in Elgin in Kane county at 2240 CST. The man suffered only minor injuries, but the car suffered significant damage. A roof was blown off of a building in Franklin Park in Cook county at 2300 CST. Over 100,000 customers were reported to have lost their power in the greater Rockford area. Power outages were common across all of northeast Illinois.

An intense area of low pressure brought strong winds to northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Peak wind gusts were near 50 mph. Some recorded winds include 56 mph at Morris in Grundy County, 55 mph at Waukegan in Lake County, 53 mph at Rockford in Winnebago County, and 49 mph at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. The winds knocked down a few tree limbs causing scattered power outages. Altogether 74,000 ComEd customers lost power. There was some minor damage at construction sites in Evanston and Northbrook. Also in Evanston, a window was blown out on a high rise building. Flights were delayed from an hour to 90 minutes at O'Hare Airport.

A line of severe thunderstorms developed during the early afternoon, stretching from just west of Rockford southwestward to near Quincy, IL. These storms moved east-northeast at 40 to 45 MPH during the course of the afternoon, with several communities reporting heavy rains, dangerous lightning, strong winds and widespread hail. In the town of Wilmette the McKenzie Elementary School's entire first floor was flooded when 2.75 inches of rain fell in a very short time. School was canceled the next day due to cleanup. In Berwyn very heavy rains caused urban flooding throughout the community with all major intersections under water for nearly four hours. Lightning struck a newer home in Kildeer, causing considerable fire damage. The strong winds tore down many trees and power lines across northern Illinois during the afternoon, and by 5:00 PM the Winnebago County Athorities reported that nearly 35,000 ComEd customers were without power, with some not being restored until the following morning. During the course of the afternoon pea size hail and winds gusting to 40 to 50 MPH were reported throughout northern Illinois.

Strong thunderstorms that caused widespread wind damage across much of the western suburbs moved into Cook county. Downed trees and power lines were reported thoughout much of the county. In the city of Chicago, a three-story building collapese in the 28 hundred block of McVikers. Law enforcement sighted a funnel cloud at the intersection of Lake and Garfy streets in the community of Hanover Park.

After a series of hail producing storms pounded northern Illinois, the last storm in the line ahead of an approaching cold front took on a small bow echo and swept across the north suburbs of Chicago. The first report of damage was a barn flattened at Pingree Grove. Five cars in the barn were damaged. There were downed trees and power lines in the area as well. A spotter in Carpentersville measured a 73 mph wind gust. Doors were blown in at a business in Elgin. Trees were down in Elgin and Sleepy Hollow. The storm did considerable damage along the Lake-Cook County line - in Arlington Heights, Palatine, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wheeling, and Northbrook. Thousands of large tree limbs and trees were downed smashing cars and homes. Some of the trees were 80 to 100 years old. A newspaper report said there were 1000 trees down in Highland Park alone. In Deerfield the hose tower roof was blown off the fire station. The police communications tower was bent in half at Highland Park. Over 100,000 customers were without power. Windows were blown out at the Allstate Insurance building in Northbrook. A wind gust to 84 mph was measured at the Palwaukee Airport in Wheeling (PWK) at 1542 CST. The canopy at the Edens (I-94) toll plaza was damaged. State Police reported several cars had windows broken on the tollway near Lake-Cook Road. Also on the tollway, a pick-up truck with a 5th wheel trailer was overturned in Deerfield . On I-294, a van was overturned by winds and trees were uprooted near Willow Road. A 69 year old man was killed when a tree fell on his car in Wilmette.

A severe storm moved northeast across LaSalle, Kendall, Will and southern Cook Counties. It produced hail from 3/4 to golf ball size. The storm also produced wind damage in Kendall County and in southern Cook County. Kendall County emergency management reported large branches down along Route 52, and siding and roof damage to homes 10 to12 miles southwest of Yorkville. Power lines and trees were down blocking roads 10 to 20 miles southeast of Yorkville and also in Oswego. A spotter estimated winds to be 65 mph at Calumet City. The Chicago 911 center reported trees down, cars damaged in the 6700 block of South Green Street.

A severe storm produced 60 mph winds at I-90 and Route 20 and 64 mph winds at Carpentersville in northern Kane County. The storm continued across northern Cook County and blew down tree branches and power lines in Evanston. Glass windows were blown in at a bank in Evanston.

A line of thunderstorms moved east from Lasalle County and developed a bow echo as it moved through Grundy, northern Livingston, Will, southern Cook and Kankakee Counties. It was estimated that 270,000 customers lost power as a result of the storms in northern Illinois. The first report of damage was near Dana in far southern LaSalle County. A couple machine sheds were destroyed and tree limbs were blown down. Two semis were overturned on highway 251 west of Dana. In eastern LaSalle County limbs and power lines were blown down at Seneca. The storms did over $50,000 in damage in Grundy County. In Kinsman large trees and branches were blown down. Trees and power poles were blown down west of Mazon. In Mazon large branches were blown down and a camper trailer was overturned. Southeast of Mazon parts of roofs, siding and underpinning was peeled of homes and the awning was blown off a home. The roof of a tool shed was blown off. In Morris trees and branches were down causing roof damage to homes and knocking down power lines. A tool shed was destroyed at one house and siding was peeled off another house. Near South Wilmington a corn crib was destroyed and farm equipment was damamged.In Livingston County, one trailer of a dobule trailer semi was overturned on I-55 near Dwight. Power poles were blown down south of Campus. In Will County, tree limbs were blown down in Channahon. A truck was overturned at I-80 and I-55 near Channahon and another was overturned at Route 59 and 126 in Plainfield. Near Manhattan, pole buildings were blown down, windows were broken at a farm house and 2 by 4s were driven into the side of the house. Trees and large limbs were blown down at New Lenox, 7 miles east of Lockport in Homer Township, Frankfort, Mokena and Peotone. In Frankfort, trees were blown down on houses causing an estimated $840,000 in damages. Two homes were destroyed, 2 had major damage and another 65 had minor to considerable damage. Two homes under construction were destroyed. At Peotone, doors were blown in at a car wash, glass was broken at a greenhouse, there was damage to the roof of a fire station, and a truck was overturned on I-57 and Peotone road. In Kankakee County, tree limbs knocked down power lines at Herscher. Large trees were blown down or uprooted in Kankakee and Aroma Park. In Cook County there was extensive damage in the south suburbs and the south side of Chicago. Trees and large branches were blown down causing power outages and damage to homes. Areas hit by the storm were Orland Park, Matteson, Stickney, Oak Lawn, Chicago Heights, Lansing, Glenwood, Hazel Crest, Lyons Midlothian, Crestwood, and Calumet City. At Chicago Heights a tree came through the roof of a restaurant. At Lansing a plane was flipped over at the airport. There was roof damage to businesses in Matteson. In Iroquois Couty a large tree fell on a house near Wellington.

From midnight on the 19th through late morning on the 20th, a series of storms moved northeast from central and western Illinois across portions of northern Illinois and Indiana. Frequent lightning, damaging winds, hail, and heavy rain accompanied the storms. Much of the damage resulted from high wind gusts with the storms which caused extensive structural damage and other property damage from downed trees and power lines. The most heavily damaged areas included Streator in southern La Salle County, several towns in southern and eastern Livingston County, and locations near and east of Kankakee in Kankakee County. High wind damage was reported throughout the town of Streator, with numerous incidents of tree and structural damage. In Livingston County, southwest of Chatsworth a machine shed and tractor barn were destroyed. In Charlotte, a number of buildings were damaged and equipment was destroyed at a grain company. Wind damage was reported throughout Kankakee County, including fallen trees that blocked several county roads, a damaged farm building under construction, and a billboard that damaged a parked truck. Extensive damage occurred near VanDerKarr Road and east to Illinois Route 1, including a trailer that was flipped on its side and downed trees at a near by golf course. Trucks were overturned on I-55 and Route 116, on Route 47 south of Forrest, and east of Collum on Route 116. Lightning started a fire that destroyed a house in Limestone Township near Kankakee.