Residents are being urged to take precautions with dangerous wind gusts set to hit the Chicago area Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
Sustained winds of 30-to-35 miles per hour are expected, with gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour in northern Illinois, according to the National Weather Service. A high wind warning has been issued for McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, Cook, LaSalle and Kendall counties, while a wind advisory has been issued for Grundy, Will and Kankakee counties.
A line of thunderstorms is expected to move through the area late Wednesday or early Thursday morning, and those storms could push wind gusts even higher, occasionally exceeding 70 miles per hour.
As a result, the National Weather Service is urging residents to take a series of precautions to protect themselves from the dangerous winds, including staying in the lower levels of homes whenever possible.
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Residents are also being urged to avoid windows due to the high-speed wind gusts.
Tree and roof damage is also possible as a result of the gusty winds, and travel will be hazardous at times, according to the NWS.
Power outages are also possible, so residents are being urged to charge their cell phones and other electronic devices before the high wind warning goes into effect. Flashlights and candles should also be kept in accessible places in the event of power outages.
Local
ComEd has announced it has positioned crews and equipment in case of any outages.
The high wind warning will expire at 9 a.m. Thursday, with cooler temperatures expected after the storm system moves through the area.
