Chicago Weather

Fierce Winds Topple Trees, Down Power Lines in Chicago Area

Several viewers sent photos and videos to NBC 5 showing the magnitude of the strong storm

Lucas Seiler

From the city of Chicago to the suburbs, dangerously strong winds hit many communities Monday afternoon, toppling trees over, bringing down power lines and leaving tens of thousands in the dark.

As of 4:30 p.m., more than 50,000 ComEd customers were without power, with more than 14,000 thousand outages in Will County alone and thousands reported in other counties.

Several viewers sent photos and videos to NBC 5 showing the magnitude of the strong storm.

In Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, several downed trees were reported, including one that fell on top of a van.

Over in suburban Wheaton, the steeple at College Church was damaged, and as shown in the photo below, seen hanging over the front of the building.

According to the Chicago Fire Department, numerous energized power lines came down, sparking fires across the city. Information about any potential injuries wasn't immediately available.

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