People across the greater Chicago area on Tuesday were dealing with the effects of the heavy thunderstorms and two confirmed tornadoes in suburban Glen Ellyn and Lansing from the day before.
A clear, sunny day brought some relief, as floodwaters receded, basements started to dry out, damages were assessed and power was being restored across the region.
In Downers Grove, meanwhile, a contractor who was working in a sewer when the storm hit remains missing, according to ABC7. Another worker who was in the sewer at the time has been found safe. Tuesday morning, police blocked off an area from Gilbert Avenue to Curtiss Street, with multiple firetrucks and ambulances in the area, ABC7 reported.
Survey teams from the National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes touched down Monday: An EF-1 tornado in south suburban Lansing, and an EF-0 tornado in west suburban Glen Ellyn. They are among the lowest-rated tornado ratings with potential wind gusts ranging from 86 mph to 110 mph.
The Weather Service said they confirmed damaging straight line winds in Carol Stream and Downers Grove.
Big wind gusts were recorded across the city and suburbs, topping out at 82 mph recorded in Waukegan, according to the Weather Service. Midway Airport recorded winds of 73 mph, and O’Hare Airport saw 65 mph winds. In northwest Indiana, Valparaiso saw 64 mph gusts.
With the high winds came heavy rain, overwhelming streets and drainage systems. Chicago’s official climate station at O’Hare measured 1.76 inches of rain, while Midway received 2.94 inches. Much of the Chicago area saw two to four inches of rain.
In some pockets of Cook County those two inches of rain falling in just two hours, according to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
The two major reservoirs managing that rainfall both are filling, according to the agency, with McCook Reservoir about 56% full, storing nearly 2 billion gallons. The Thornton Reservoir, to the south, is about 34% full, storing nearly 2.7 billion gallons.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications reported 2,322 tree emergency calls and 973 reports of tree debris. There have also been 623 reports of water on streets, 599 flooded basements and 47 flooded viaducts around Chicago as well as 310 traffic signals out, 220 streetlights out, 160 downed wires and 116 damaged streetlight poles as of Tuesday afternoon.
According to ComEd, more than 530,000 electric customers lost power. By Tuesday morning, utility crews had restored electricity to nearly 300,000 customers, according to ComEd, which expects that by noon Wednesday, it will have restored power to about 80% of those who lost their electricity. The rest of ComEd customers will have power restored by 10 p.m. Friday, according to the utility.
Officials said the communities hit hardest during from Monday’s storm include Chicago Heights, Maywood, Crestwood, Bolingbrook, University Park, Libertyville and portions of the South Side.
The Illinois American Red Cross has also opened two shelters, in Steger and Gurnee, to help those impacted by the storm. According to regional communications director Connie Esparza, many Illinoisans have come to the shelter for access to electricity and food, with some staying overnight.
As cleanup efforts continue, officials are urging residents to avoid downed power lines, report hazards and use caution while traveling through areas still affected by flooding, fallen trees and power outages.