Strong winds overnight could be the cause of a building collapse in Little Village and a fire in Glenview, among other local damage.
Winds of 30 to 35 mph with gusts of up to 50 mph hit parts of the area overnight, knocking out power to about 27,000 ComEd customers. As of Friday morning, 6,200 were still without power, including 3,000 south of the city and 2,100 in the western suburbs.
Bricks from a Little Village home's second floor fell down to the sidewalk, exposing the attic. The bricks littered the sidewalk and smashed two cars parked near 23th and California. No one was injured. The homeowners are responsible for cleaning up the debris on the sidewalk.
The gusts also brought down a power line in Glenview. The wire started to spark and arch on the ground, starting a fire. No injuries were reported.
Out on the Indiana toll road, all triple trailers and some long doubles have been banned from the western part of the highway. The ban is expected to last until 2 p.m.
Less severe winds continue Friday even after a wind advisory expired at 5 a.m. Spotty early morning showers push east into northwest Indiana as clouds slowly break for partial morning sunshine in the metro area.
Unseasonably cool temps are expected Friday afternoon, along with gusts between 20 and 25 mph. Highs of upper 50s and low 60s continue throughout the weekend.
Things warm up early next week thanks to highs in the low to mid-70s.
