Chicago is under a tornado watch and severe thunderstorm warning.
The City of Chicago, state of Illinois, is under a tornado watch as a cold front sweeps through the region. Severe storms triggered a tornado warning in the Chicago area on Tuesday evening, February 27, with at least five tornado sightings reported by the National Weather Service. Three of them were spotted near the city of DeKalb, approximately 64 miles west of Chicago. Wind gusts exceeding 60 mph wreaked havoc, toppling trees and light poles, resulting in widespread power outages. Fortunately, there are no reports of casualties.
Waubonsee Community College in west suburban Sugar Grove activated shelter mode for students and employees due to strong winds and a severe thunderstorm warning. On campus, due to the tornado weather, a light pole and numerous tree branches were torn down, and evergreens were uprooted, with heavy branches crashing onto vehicles.
Incidents of damage and concern extended to various locations. In Inverness, a sizable branch fell onto Ela Road, causing travel disruptions. Wilmette and other suburbs activated air-raid sirens in anticipation of the storm. A potent mix of rain and hail battered parts of south suburban Oak Forest.
Hoffman Estates: tornado brought down a tree by strong winds in a video, while in Mundelein, an apartment building collapsed with roof damage and a collapsed wall.
Experts attribute the Chicago tornado to an El Nino weather pattern and climate change. Record February temperatures, akin to summer, were experienced across the US and Canada. Chicago encountered a rapid shift from summer-like warmth to deep winter chills within 24 hours, described by the National Weather Service as "absolutely brutal." Such drastic temperature fluctuations exemplify the unseasonable and unpredictable weather patterns brought about by climate change.
Across a dozen Midwest states, heavy snowfall, severe thunderstorm warnings, and golf ball-sized hail have been reported. Authorities advise people to avoid travel due to blizzard conditions affecting multiple states, causing travel chaos in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. As the weather warning moves east, over 11 million people in Ohio and Kentucky remained under a tornado watch on Wednesday.
Stay safe and always check the weather radar to know if there is a tornado in Illinois today.