Severe storms that swept through the Midwest knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers, damaged buildings and canceled flights. They resulted in at least one death, with multiple tornadoes touching down late Thursday in communities outside Chicago. 

Approximately 11 cities across Illinois and Wisconsin reported tornadoes as of Thursday evening, according to CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. Wind gusts of 75 miles per hour were reported in Mason City, Illinois, and 70 mph in Morton and Washington, Illinois. 

According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, more than 227,000 customers were without power in Illinois as of Friday morning. 

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center upgraded the Chicago area to a level 4 out of 5 on its severe risk scale, meaning widespread severe storms are likely.  According to CBS News Chicago, it is the first time Chicago had seen a level 4 risk since July 15, 2024, when the area saw a record tornado outbreak with 32 touchdowns. This level of risk is typically seen once every two years.   

The National Weather Service said tornadoes had been confirmed in mostly rural areas southwest of Chicago, with reports of many buildings damaged in Streator, a manufacturing and farm city about 100 miles away. 

The city of Streator said in a news release that a confirmed tornado had torn through the city. Streator Mayor Tara Bedei said there were no reported deaths. “We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement.

Storm chaser and video journalist Scott Lasker told CBS News Chicago he was in Streator during the tornado outbreak and said he heard a woman, about 100 yards away, screaming for help. Lasker ran over to find the woman’s husband was stuck in the rubble and ended up helping rescue him.  

Severe weather both Wednesday and Thursday forced ground stops at Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International airports. More than 1,000 flights going into and out of Chicago had been delayed or canceled, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website. 

Strong storms also delayed or halted flights at airports in other cities including Philadelphia, New York City and Newark, New Jersey. 

Thursday’s tornadoes followed severe storms Wednesday in which the weather service received more than a dozen reports of tornadoes across northern Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Illinois. Trees and utility wires were reported down across the region.

Commonwealth Edison Company, which provides electric service across northern Illinois, said the storms had downed poles and wires. On X, it wrote that it expected “80% restoration” by Saturday at 11 p.m.

In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park Wednesday after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said in a statement. The man was found critically injured Thursday morning and died at the scene, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from the storms.

Winery owner Joe Brandonisio of Maple Park, Illinois, told CBS News’ Rob Marciano that one of his workers tied himself to a water trailer to keep from being blown away during a powerful storm. 

“I saw the debris fly up and spin around. I got down in the basement. I told the staff to get down there,” Brandonisio said. 

Shane Tipton, of Unionville, Missouri, drove home from his factory job Wednesday afternoon, unaware that severe weather was on the way, said his daughter, Kylie Rouse. As he stepped out of his truck, he saw a twister bearing down — and hurried into his mobile home to evacuate his 87-year-old dad, Jimmie Tipton.

They made it back to the truck, drove just far enough away and watched as the tornado obliterated the home. Shattered cabinets, furniture and appliances littered the ground. Clothes hung in trees. They believe they lost one of their hunting dogs, which has been missing since it struck.

“Everything’s destroyed,” Rouse told The Associated Press in a phone interview Thursday. “It was scattered clear for miles. If my grandpa would have been in there, there’s no way that he would be alive.”

They returned to the scene Thursday to hunt through the debris for Jimmie Tipton’s prescriptions. Rouse has started an online fundraiser through GoFundMe to help them recover.

Residents of Springfield, Illinois, believe a tornado touched down in their area late Wednesday. Two buildings at the Animal Protective League shelter in Springfield were heavily damaged, but none of the nearly 150 cats and 28 dogs housed there were injured, said Deana Corbin, the group’s executive director.

“It pretty much wiped out our shelter facility, took the roofs off both of our buildings,” Corbin said. “It’s a miracle. We were so blessed to not have any injuries of either people or animals.”

The community pitched in to take in all the cats and dogs temporarily, including a local animal control center, veterinarians and residents, she said.

Damage was also reported at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield.

Dangerous heat and humidity

Potentially dangerous heat and high humidity arrived Thursday and was expected to continue Friday for a swath of the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, where daily high record temperatures could be broken in numerous places, the weather service said. Temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit were expected, but with the humidity it could feel like 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more, the service said.

Philadelphia declared a heat health emergency for Thursday and Friday, activating cooling centers, home visits by field teams, outreach to people experiencing homelessness and other services. New York City officials were also urging residents to take precautions, including drinking plenty of water and finding a cool place to stay if they do not have air conditioning.