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Residents across the Chicago area awoke to a grim scene on Sunday morning, as overnight storms left a trail of destruction in their wake. The powerful weather system, which swept through the southern and southwestern suburbs, was responsible for extensive property damage, power outages affecting thousands, and the hospitalization of a woman after a tree fell onto her home.
The recent weather events add to an already tumultuous period marked by severe conditions. Over the past few days, the region has faced a barrage of storms, including an alarming count of 13 tornadoes confirmed by the National Weather Service.
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The series of tornadoes and storms have not only disrupted daily life but have also prompted concerns about safety and the readiness of emergency services in handling such widespread damage. As the community begins the challenging process of recovery, local authorities and residents are assessing the impact and planning the next steps to rebuild and restore normalcy.
13 tornadoes rated by NWS so far:
Merrillville, Indiana: EF-2
Hickory Hills, Illinois to near Midway Airport: EF-2
Dwight, Illinois area: EF-1
Naperville, Illinois to Lisle, Illinois: EF-0
Cedar Lake, Indiana: EF-0
Schneider, Indiana to Hebron, Indiana area: EF-0
Wateska, Illinois to near Rensselaer, Indiana: EF-0
Wateska, Illinois to near Rensselaer, Indiana: EF-0
The National Weather Service has also conducted surveys of damage for additional tornadoes just outside the Chicago area, for a total of about 20 tornadoes.
Watch the latest 7-day outlook from the ABC7 AccuWeather Team.
A 29-year-old woman remained hospitalized at Christ Hospital after a large maple tree fell onto the Calumet City home she shares with her mother in the city’s 6th Ward. Neighbors said emergency responders had to work to rescue her from the damaged house.
“The paramedics had to use like a jaws of life to extract her from the home. But when the tree fell it also severed the gas line, so the gas was super loud. You could here it and you could smell it,” said Calumet City resident Brian Holiday.
Across the neighborhood, the storm toppled trees and damaged property. At least three vehicles were destroyed by falling trees, including a GMC Sprinter van whose owner was out of town and attempting to sell it.
“He’s not going to be happy. And at least no one is hurt and the tree didn’t fall this way,” said his sister, Stormy Lucas.
As residents began cleaning up debris, city officials said municipal crews would take an active role in removing storm damage, even when it affected private property.
“I’ve directed all of my staff. Even if it’s on someone’s personal property to remove that. You’re not going to have them remove that we’re going to do that ourselves,” said Calumet City Mayor Thadeus Jones.
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The storms also caused significant power outages across the region. Officials said an additional 9,000 customers lost electricity overnight, adding to more than 13,000 who remained without power from last week’s severe weather.
ComEd established a staging area in southwest suburban Burbank as crews worked to repair the latest round of damage. The hardest-hit areas included several south and southwest suburban communities.
“The Burbank, justice, hickory hills area saw a lot of damage. The Palos Heights, Alsip, Crestwood areas also saw a lot of damage,” said Jeremy Smyth, vice president of distribution operations for ComEd.
Utility officials said they hoped to restore service to most affected customers by late Sunday, though recovery efforts were ongoing as crews continued to assess and repair infrastructure damaged in the storms.
As of 6:30 p.m. Sunday, ComEd said it had restored power for 99% of customers affected by the severe weather event.
SEE ALSO | Couple survives EF-3 tornado in Streator, Illinois, man rescued from collapsed home: VIDEO
Over in Downers Grove and Hinsdale the rain flooded roads and parking lots.
This latest round of storms comes at a time when many communities across Illinois and Indiana are attempting to clean up and rebuild after last week’s damage.
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