Chicago tornado: Warning issued for Will, DuPage, Cook and Lake counties; ground stop in effect at O’Hare Int'l Airport

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for Chicago on Tuesday, advising residents to seek shelter due to an incoming series of thunderstorms. The warning covers Will, DuPage, Cook, and Lake counties and will remain in effect until mid-morning. A severe thunderstorm watch is active until 2 p.m. for northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana.

Departures from O'Hare International Airport have been halted, as well as at Midway Airport, both under a ground stop currently in place until 11:15 a.m., potentially extended. Meteorologist Kevin Donofrio stated that the NWS is monitoring a storm system moving from the Mississippi River into Illinois, with wind gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour already reported and intensifying as they approach the region, possibly reaching 70 to 80 miles per hour.

The storms are expected to hit Chicago by late morning, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and residents are advised to take refuge in basements or interior rooms. The storms pose a risk of damaging winds over 75 miles per hour, heavy rainfall, and potential flooding. Warning sirens were heard in Chicago neighborhoods around 10:30 a.m., and the most intense storms were located in the southwest suburbs and northwest Indiana by 11:05 a.m., with powerful storms crossing Lake Michigan.