Summer storms pounded the Chicago area overnight, leaving thousands without power ahead of Wednesday’s morning commute.
By 7 a.m., nearly 20,000 customers were reported to be without power by ComEd after severe thunderstorms rolled through bringing powerful winds gusting upwards of 50 mph and large hail.
The severe storm system made its way into northern Illinois around midnight, moving southeast from Minnesota. The storms pushed through the area by 6 a.m., but left behind wet roads, slick driving conditions and heavy storm damage in some of Chicago’s south suburbs.
Residents in south suburban Burbank woke up to downed power lines, snapped trees and blocked off roads.
Firefighters on the scene near 85th and Oak Park avenue were on the scene trying to keep people away from some of the lines that were still sparking as the heavy downpours turned to light rain.
One tree in Evanston came crashing down on top of a black Mercedes in the 100 block of Callan Avenue.
By 7 a.m., the strongest storms had moved out of the Chicago area, but another threat will return hours later as another storm system is expected to bring scattered showers and potentially severe thunderstorms in Wednesday’s afternoon and early evening hours.
Local
The unsettled weather pattern continues through early Friday with periods of scattered thunderstorms possible.
