Severe Storms Slam City
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Aug 5, 2008 3:15PM
Over 230,000 ComEd customers are still without power following last night's powerful storms that swept through the area, downing trees and power lines. The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation had reports of 1,438 damaged trees, 158 malfunctioning traffic signals, 69 damaged street light poles, 112 downed wires, and 212 city blocks without working street lights. The first line of storms pushed through the city shortly after 8 p.m. and were followed by a second, slightly weaker round shortly after 11 p.m. Tornadoes were reported in Schiller Park and in Elmhurst but there were no reports within the Chicago city limits.
The storms sent several Chicagoist staffers scurrying to basements and various shelters (some of us were unfortunate enough to be stuck outside), but at least we weren't at Wrigley where the storms sent fans watching the Cubs-Astros game scurrying for cover under the grandstand. The game was delayed over two-and-a-half hours before resuming play but was finally called after eight innings when the second round of storms hit just after 11 p.m.
Among other news bits from the storms:
- Wind gusts were over 60 mph as the storms moved through, with the highest (94 mph) being reported in the Harrison Crib area.
- Members of a youth baseball team were safely evacuated from St. Charles North High School where winds severely damaged the roof.
- One man in the Logan Square neighborhood was critically injured when he was struck by a falling tree, though there have been no other reports so far of other serious injuries.
- Three CTA bus routes (47, 87 and 88) were temporarily rerouted due to flooding. Those reroutes have since ended.
- A suspected tornado leveled a house and left a three-mile long trail of damage in Griffith, Indiana.