EF-0 tornado hit Roselle, supercell thunderstorm ripped through Chicago with 90 mph gusts

The supercell thunderstorm produced gusts that knocked over parked airplanes, topped over trees and left thousands without power.

SHARE EF-0 tornado hit Roselle, supercell thunderstorm ripped through Chicago with 90 mph gusts
A Bellwood apartment building had its roof partially ripped off Monday night at about 7 p.m.

A Bellwood apartment building had its roof partially ripped off Monday night at about 7 p.m.

ABC7 Chicago

An EF-0 tornado touched down in the Roselle area Monday as a supercell thunderstorm swept through northern Illinois, the National Weather Service said. 

The tornado formed in an unincorporated area near Schaumburg and moved into Roselle about 6:30 p.m., packing 80 mph winds, the weather service said. Only tree damage was caused by the tornado, but nearby straight-line winds damaged Schaumburg airport. 

A majority of the most severe damage in Brookfield, Roselle, Westchester and Bellwood — a western suburb where wind during Monday evening’s supercell thunderstorm ripped off the roof of an apartment building, displacing 30 families but injuring no one — appears to have been caused by straight-line winds, the weather service said.

There was a trail of heavy damage along the path of the storm — which had 90 mph gusts — from Kane County to northwest Indiana.

“This storm was in the upper echelon of storm tops for mid-latitude, non-tropical thunderstorms,” the weather service said.

ComEd said more than 53,000 customers lost power, with suburban Maywood taking the brunt with 44,000 outages. More than 13,000 remained without power Tuesday afternoon.

Brookfield Zoo sustained “significant” damage from the storm and was delaying its opening Tuesday until the afternoon. “Animals and staff are safe,” the zoo wrote on Twitter.

Trees down at Brookfield Zoo as a result of Monday’s storm.

Trees down at Brookfield Zoo as a result of Monday’s storm.

Jim Schulz/CZS-Brookfield Zoo

Videos posted to Twitter showed severe damage to a parking garage wall at the Toyota dealer in Lincoln Park. Part of a wall collapsed at the Toyota of Lincoln Park dealership at 1561 N. Freemont St., but no one was injured, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said.

The city also received numerous reports of fallen trees, making some roads impassable and covering cars with branches. Accompanying damages were reported but no reports of injuries caused by the storm, the Fire Department spokesman said.

At Schaumburg Regional Airport, two parked airplanes were reportedly blown over.

Winds gusted to 84 mph at O’Hare Airport and 69 mph at Midway Airport. A ground stop was ordered at O’Hare by the Federal Aviation Administration.

There were also reports of hail 1 inch in diameter.

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National Weather Service

Thousands were jolted by Weather Service warnings sent to cellphones that read: “Take shelter now in a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.”

The storm moved through the northern suburbs at 30 mph before turning southeast and increasing in speed before making its way through the city at 7 p.m., Castro said. “Warnings went out well in advance,” he said.

The weather also delayed the start time for a Cubs game against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field as fans sought shelter in the Friendly Confines.

The storms ushered in rising temperatures that are expected to reach the high 90s Tuesday and Wednesday. The city has opened its cooling centers as forecasters predict that humidity will make it feel more like 110 degrees.

Here’s a look at some of the storm’s damage as captured by users on social media:

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