Indiana woman killed in Portage house explosion identified

CHICAGO - The woman killed when a home exploded in northwest Indiana on Tuesday has been identified by her family.

Portage house explosion victim ID'd

What we know:

The son of 88-year-old Leona Rice confirmed Wednesday that his mother was the person who died in the explosion.

The explosion happened in the 6600 block of Harrison Avenue. Video from the scene showed debris scattered around the area and the home completely destroyed.

Neighbor Mike Ritter described what his wife saw when the house exploded.

"She said she saw the house raise up and drop right back down."

Ritter said it was difficult knowing someone he had known for years was inside.

"When you're looking over there and seeing the house on fire, and you figure somebody you've known that long is in there, it's... I mean, what can I say."

What we don't know:

Officials have not said what caused the explosion.

It also remains unclear whether the explosion was connected to the severe storms that moved through northwest Indiana on Tuesday.

Big picture view:

A powerful line of storms swept 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 classified the weather event as a derecho.

The National Weather Service confirmed at least three EF-1 tornadoes in the Chicago area, including one that tracked from near Monee through Crete, another that moved from near southern Orland Park toward Flossmoor and a third near Mokena.

Significant storm damage was also reported in several northwest Indiana communities.

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, more than 138,000 ComEd customers remained without power in the Chicago area, while more than 276,000 NIPSCO customers were without power in northwest Indiana.

Local perspective:

Portage Mayor Austin Bonta signed a local emergency proclamation following the storm, activating emergency authorities as the city works to protect residents, assess damage and restore government operations.

The proclamation directs city employees and public offices to prioritize emergency duties and calls for response teams to coordinate through the City of Portage Emergency Operating Center.

The storm also forced Portage Township School Corporation to cancel what would have been the first day of school Wednesday.

School officials said they are assessing their campuses and working with city and township officials during the recovery.

"However, we must prioritize the safety of our students, staff, and families," the district said.

The district said it will provide updates about the rest of the school week once officials have a better understanding of the damage and recovery timeline.

Drivers traveling into northwest Indiana over the next few days are also being urged to plan ahead, fill their tanks before reaching Lake or Porter counties and prepare for blocked secondary roads.

"Due to power outages, the gas stations that are open are very busy and may run out of fuel, both gasoline and diesel, at the current rate of need with generators running," Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said.