At least seven states were hit by storms which battered the US Mid-West and the Great Lakes region on Monday.
A tornado hit Coal City, Illinois injuring seven people. Meanwhile five people had to be rescued in the state of Michigan.
Winds of 122mph were recorded in South Dakota and baseball-sized hail fell in Indiana as the severe storms uprooted trees and power lines.
BYPASS THE CENSORS
Sign up to get unfiltered news delivered straight to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe any time. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use
Hazardous conditions brought chaos to the local transportation networks and flights were cancelled or delayed in Chicago.
Numerous highways across a number of states were also closed to traffic.
According to a weather expert, storms of this kind are not uncommon in these parts of the US during the early summer months.
RT reports:
One of the worst-affected areas was Coal City, southeast of Chicago. A tornado affected the area, while there were at least two injuries according to local authorities, with one person taken to hospital.
“We are early in the process of determining the level of damage,” Emergency Management director Joe Schroeder told WGN-TV early on Tuesday morning, according to AP. He added that at least 30 buildings were affected, many of them in residential areas, while a shelter was opened at a local high school.
Brittany Halliday, the daughter of the Coal City’s Mayor Terry Halliday told a local newspaper that homes had been damaged, while the storm had caused havoc in the area.
Meanwhile, five people had to be rescued from damaged buildings in the state of Michigan, after parts of the state were lashed by the savage storm. A tornado, with winds of up to 100mph affected the town of Portland, not far from the state capital, Lansing.
“We had people trapped in some of the buildings. They have been removed and are fine,” Portland Fire Chief John Baker said, as cited by AP. He mentioned there may have been some minor injuries to residents, but no one has been hospitalized.
There were also reports of damage in the village of Sublette, some 70 miles west of Coal City, weather officials said. The Chicago Tribune reported that Sublette fire officials confirmed five people had been hurt, including one with serious injuries.
Unsurprisingly, power lines in the area were damaged, with the utility company Commonwealth Edison Co. saying that at least 19,000 customers were without electricity.
Meanwhile, five people had to be rescued from damaged buildings in the state of Michigan, after parts of the state were lashed by the savage storm. A tornado, with winds of up to 100mph affected the town of Portland, not far from the state capital, Lansing.
“We had people trapped in some of the buildings. They have been removed and are fine,” Portland Fire Chief John Baker said, as cited by AP. He mentioned there may have been some minor injuries to residents, but no one has been hospitalized.
Elsewhere in Michigan, the city of Grand Rapids was affected by flooding.
The hazardous conditions brought chaos to the local transportation networks. The Chicago Department of Aviation reported that more than 500 flights had to be canceled, with the city’s O’Hare and Midway Airports affected.
Numerous highways across a number of states were also closed to traffic.
Niamh Harris
Be the first to comment