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Chicago Braces for Rare Moderate Risk Storms
11 Jun
Summary
- Tornado watch issued for Chicago area until 9 PM Thursday.
- Strong tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail are expected.
- Over 130,000 customers lost power from Tuesday's storm.
The Chicago metropolitan area is under a tornado watch until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, as severe weather is expected to impact the region. Forecasters have issued a rare "moderate risk" designation, anticipating strong tornadoes with wind speeds up to 142 mph, damaging winds, and large hail.
The most significant threat is anticipated from a second wave of storms developing after 4:00 p.m. and continuing until 10:00 p.m., potentially bringing another inch of rain. This severe weather event occurs while cleanup efforts are still underway from a previous storm on Tuesday.
That earlier storm caused widespread power outages, affecting over 130,000 ComEd customers at its peak. The severe weather also led to substantial disruptions at local airports, with over 500 flights canceled at O'Hare International Airport alone. Authorities are urging residents to enable cell phone alerts and heed official warnings.
