Chicago Weather: Severe Storms

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CHICAGO (GaeaTimes.com)- On Friday, the citizens of Chicago saw a series of severe thunderstorm rip through the city and suburbs. On an otherwise dazzlingly bright Friday, the storms came with heavy rains, high winds and frequent lightning. The storms were organized in a form called ‘bow echo’ and reached up to 70mph speeds. Several cases of building damage and injuries were reported throughout the area. A number of windows of the Willis Tower were broken and more than 1000 tree emergencies were reported.

The electric supply company said that around 286000 homes were without power on Friday in Chicago area. A woman was severely injured after being hit by a metal table in Daley Plaza. In Palatine, a lightning strike resulted in fires in a resale shop building. The building was severely damaged. No Injuries however were reported. Inside the Willis Tower the people began to slide on the floor in their chairs as the building started to sway due to the powerful winds. In Humboldt Park, fire-fighters rescued a person who was trapped under a tree and was taken to the hospital immediately.

Earlier in the day the National Weather Service issued a warning to the citizens of the Chicago area. The department asked the citizens to not be deceived by the sunny bright weather as a severe thunderstorm is approaching the northern Illinois area. By the afternoon, newspapers and flying debris were seen flying over buildings under a very dark sky. The late afternoon gusts saw the people stopping work and witnessing the devastating winds and rain. In several areas the streets were flooded due to the heavy rains that followed the storm.