Social media has been abuzz with gripping footage showcasing the intense thunderstorms and high winds that hit Chicago before the tornadoes struck the area.
Reports indicated that up to 10 tornadoes touched down in the Chicago region on Monday night, affecting major hubs like O’Hare International and Midway International Airport, and leaving thousands without power statewide.
Tornado warnings were issued and in effect in Chicago and its outskirts on that stormy Monday.
A viral time-lapse video shared by TikTok user Celine Joo displayed the continuous lightning illuminating the dark, cloudy skies following the tornado alerts. The video garnered over 117,000 views within days of being posted on July 15.
On Tuesday, NWS Chicago mentioned that the area was no longer under tornado or severe thunderstorm warnings, but significant damage had been witnessed.
NWS Chicago reported witnessing power flashes on the O’Hare and Midway Airport webcams due to probable tornadoes or destructive wind gusts near those locations in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.
As of Tuesday, PowerOutage.us reported over 254,000 people in Illinois without power.
Various updates shared by the Chicago Fire Department on X indicated that while there were no reported injuries yet, the city had seen numerous downed trees, broken power lines, and porch collapses.
Other TikTok videos captured the eerie aftermath of the tornado warnings issued in Chicago.
One clip shared by user @ichasewisdom on Tuesday showcased strong winds outside a dining venue during the storm, with the caption indicating the poster’s firsthand encounter with a tornado in Chicago.
Rachel Shay, in a video shared as ‘@itsrachelshay’, offered a chilling aerial view of storm clouds over the city amidst blaring tornado warning sirens.
The hazardous weather outlook remained in effect for certain parts of Illinois and Indiana, according to an NWS update on Tuesday.