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CHICAGO - Schools across parts of Chicagoland are closed Wednesday as communities clean up from Tuesday’s destructive storms, which produced at least three tornadoes and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power.
School closures
The backstory:
At least three EF-1 tornadoes have been confirmed in Chicago’s south suburbs, according to FOX Chicago Chief Meteorologist Emily Wahls and the National Weather Service.
One tornado tracked from near Monee through Crete in eastern Will County. Another tracked from near southern Orland Park toward Flossmoor, while a third was confirmed in the Mokena area.
The storms moved through the Chicago area Tuesday morning and early afternoon, producing wind gusts of up to 100 mph, large hail, flooding and tornadoes.
The Storm Prediction Center officially classified the weather event as a derecho.
Significant damage was reported in Cook and Will counties, including in Homewood and Tinley Park, as well as several communities in northwest Indiana.
By the numbers:
As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, more than 146,000 ComEd customers were without power across the Chicago area. More than 274,000 NIPSCO customers were without power in northwest Indiana.
Portage house explosion
One person was also killed Tuesday after a home exploded in the 6600 block of Harrison Avenue in Portage, Indiana.
Officials have not said what caused the explosion or whether it was connected to the severe weather. No information about the person who died has been released.
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Portage home explosion leaves 1 dead during destructive storms
One person died after a home explosion in Portage on Tuesday as the city works to assess damage from a severe storm that prompted officials to declare a state of emergency.
What's next:
Cleanup and power restoration efforts are ongoing as more severe weather could develop Wednesday.
Chicago weather: Strong storms could return Wednesday
Another round of thunderstorms could hit Chicagoland before noon Wednesday, with severe weather once again possible.
Additionally, Gary Public Transportation Corp. suspended all transit service Wednesday because of continued power outages in the area. The suspension also includes Access219 paratransit service.
Officials said updates on any service changes will be posted on social media.
The Source: The information in this story came from local officials, ComEd, NIPSCO, FOX Chicago's Emily Wahls, the National Weather Service, and the Storm Prediction Center.