A mega cluster of tornadoes and thunderstorms have battered greater Chicago, leaving thousands without power and forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled.
Trees were uprooted and rooftops were ripped off, as the series of tornadoes left a path of destruction on Wednesday amid the meteorological chaos.
At least eight tornadoes touched down in four counties in northeastern Illinois, including four in Cook County, which is home to Chicago, as officials warned people to take shelter.
The brutal and freak weather forced O’Hare and Midway airports to halt all air traffic, officials said, as tornado sirens echoed through the third biggest U.S. city.
As the tornadoes touched down near Chicago’s main airport last night, travelers were forced to scramble for cover as many were left stranded.
All departures of commercial flights into O’Hare and Midway airports were grounded, and outgoing flights from the two airports were delayed, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported.
More than 300 flights in and out of O’Hare and another 32 in and out of Midway were canceled, according to FlightAware.
Off-site air traffic controllers assumed control of the airspace as the on-site controllers needed to evacuate the towers at O’Hare and Midway, the FAA said.
Normal operations resumed after the storms passed, the FAA said.
Trees were uprooted and roofs blown off in the Cook County town of Countryside, and car windows were blown out in La Grange, the National Weather Service reported.
Tree and roof damage was also reported from several other twisters, the service said.
Twin tornadoes were spotted touching down at the same time in Saint Charles, Illinois, and the rare moment was captured by storm chasers in an awe-inspiring video.
The National Weather Service had issued two tornado warnings for Chicago Wednesday evening. Tornado sirens sounded warning people to find shelter.
Lynn Becker, a longtime Chicago resident, said tornado sirens were blaring across the city’s iconic skyline.
‘I’m in a 60 story apartment building so my options are somewhat limited,’ he said. ‘We have to, I assume, go into the core of the building.
‘There’s a certain panic when you’re watching a TV screen and everything is in red – but the hope is that the damage is minimal,’ he said.
Local news outlets said warehouses were reportedly damaged near O’Hare.
