Chicago, IL – Overnight storms packing severe winds and hail swept through northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, knocking out power to more than 130,000 residents early Friday and leaving widespread structural damage in their wake.
According to ComEd, over 55,000 customers were without power across its northern Illinois service area as of Friday morning, with more than 1,360 outages reported. NIPSCO, which supplies power in Indiana, confirmed that approximately 84,600 customers in its region were also affected by the storm’s impact. Utility crews are working to assess damage and restore power, but no restoration timeline has been given due to ongoing weather conditions.
The storm’s impact was especially severe across the south suburbs of Chicago and parts of northwest Indiana. In Wilmington, IL, 70 mph winds tore the roof off a building on Water Street, prompting police to close the area at Baltimore Street/IL-53 as debris blocked the road. Authorities urged drivers to avoid the area until further notice.
Multiple fire protection districts, including Manhattan and Peotone, reported downed wires and fallen tree limbs throughout their communities. Residents were advised to stay clear of any downed power lines and to avoid moving debris, even if it does not appear dangerous.
In Tinley Park and Braidwood, emergency services responded to reports of water main breaks, tree damage, and traffic signal outages. Portage, IN also sustained significant storm damage, with officials reporting 10–15 trees down and several intersections blocked.
Local agencies are asking residents to remain cautious while cleanup continues. Public works crews will be working through the weekend to clear roads and restore infrastructure in the affected areas.
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