Severe thunderstorms caused damage and flooding across the Chicago area Wednesday night.
Heavy rain, high-speed winds and even hail began in the afternoon, moving from the southwestern counties through the suburbs and city by the evening.
A home in the far northwest suburbs was destroyed in a fire caused by a lightning strike. Emergency crews responded to the fire in the 2900 block of Tahoe in Spring Grove just after 5 p.m.
Officials said the family heard a clap of thunder, then smelled smoke and called the fire department. The fire was safely extinguished around 7:30 p.m. and no injuries were reported.
Around 5:45 p.m., police responded to calls of a tree falling on a car at the intersection of 106th and Central Ave in Chicago Ridge. The driver was unharmed, but Central Ave was closed for a few hours as crews worked to remove the tree.
Photos: Storms Hit Chicago Area
In Sandwich, uprooted trees also caused serious damage to houses and even gravestones in a cemetery.
"The wind took down a tree and the TV antenna and created some damage to the roof of the house," said Sandwich resident Amy Johnson.
Local
Flooding impacted homes across the Chicago area and even some roads. On the city's Southwest Side, several inches of standing water made driving conditions treacherous at 47th St and Central Ave.
Storms may begin again Thursday morning, with a chance for early showers, mainly in the southern suburbs.
