UNITED STATES: A tornado outbreak in Chicago caused numerous flights to be cancelled and hundreds of people seeking shelter at O’Hare Airport.
People seek refuge at O’Hare airport
The National Weather Service announced a tornado on the ground at 7:03 p.m. local time, urging people to take cover and stay in cellars or rooms on the weakest floors. At least eight tornadoes were observed, and a popular video showed thousands seeking refuge at O’Hare Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported delays in planes departing from O’Hare and Midway airports due to the suspension of departures. Tornadoes affected four northeastern Illinois counties, including Cook County, which includes Chicago.
In McCook, a cinder block building fell in an industrial area. The National Weather Service reported house roof blowings and tree uprootings in Countryside and La Grange communities. Authorities reported some property damage but no early reports of injuries or fatalities.
The Storm Prediction Centre of the weather agency had earlier on Wednesday warned that northern Illinois, including Chicago, was in increased danger for severe weather, including tornadoes.
The Chicago region has experienced multiple tornadoes, according to Brett Borchardt, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The damage assessment is expected to take days. The region has experienced numerous tornadoes, with 97 severe tornadoes reported between 1855 and 2021.
The National Weather Service reports that numerous tornadoes have impacted the Chicago metropolitan region over the years, including several that have occurred inside Chicago’s city limits. The meteorological service documented 97 strong tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan region from 1855 and 2021.
In Cook County’s Palos Hills on April 21, 1967, the deadliest tornado developed. The meteorological service reported that the twister caused more than $50 million in damage, 500 injuries, and 33 fatalities as it made its way through Oak Lawn and the south side of Chicago over a distance of 16 miles (26 kilometres).
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