Strong storms hit the Midwest for several days
Significant weather problems are possible across the north-central region of the country this week, with severe danger extending from North Dakota on Tuesday to Illinois on Thursday.
Severe storms and tornadoes ripped through the Midwest on June 11, killing one person, toppling trees and leaving thousands in the dark with power outages.
The storm curtailed a multi-state outbreak that had lasted several days, with reports of tornadoes, severe storm damage and large hail in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana, according to AccuWeather. According to the newspaper, about 20 tornadoes have struck in the central and midwestern parts of the country in recent days. Tornadoes were reported in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois on June 11, according to preliminary data from the Storm Prediction Center.
On June 11, a man was killed in Des Moines, Iowa, when a tree fell on a homeless encampment during a morning storm, the USA TODAY Network’s Des Moines Register reported.
No deaths were reported in other Midwestern communities, but severe damage has occurred. In Kenosha County, Wisconsin, severe storms toppled trees and power lines, causing “significant damage” along Highway 142, local officials said. The National Weather Service said the tornado touched down near Sturtevant, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, around 6:13 p.m., the USA TODAY Network’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. In Springfield, Illinois, an animal shelter was severely damaged.
More than 300,000 homes and businesses were without power in Illinois and Indiana as of early morning June 12, according to USA TODAY’s power outage tracking information.
One person killed in Iowa storm
A 54-year-old man was killed when a storm caused a tree to fall on a homeless encampment in Des Moines, Iowa, authorities said. His identity has not been released.
Des Moines police and firefighters responded to a report of a trauma just before 8 a.m. June 11 and found a man in critical condition, police spokesman Sergeant John Johnson said. Paul Parizek said, according to the Register. The tree broke and fell during a violent storm.
Police said the man died at the scene despite life-saving measures.
The Iowa storm caused flash flooding in Page County, downed trees in Cobourg, widespread high winds in the southwest and central parts of the state and caused damage in Malvern, including the removal of part of a building’s metal roof, the Register reported.
Severe storms hit the central and Midwest United States for several days.
AccuWeather reports nearly 700 severe weather incidents and about 24 tornadoes have been reported across the central United States in recent days.
On June 9, a storm brought 90 mph wind gusts and hail to South Dakota. The paper said tens of thousands of people were without power in the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Several tornadoes were also reported on the night of June 10th.
According to the Springfield State Journal-Register, part of the USA TODAY network, severe storms blew off the roof of the Animal Rescue League in Springfield, Illinois on June 11, causing extensive damage to the building. No injuries were reported and hundreds of animals were moved to safety, the newspaper reported.
The rocky weather is expected to move east toward the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on June 12, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms, damaging winds and heavy rain are expected in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., AccuWeather forecasters said.
Pool table gets stuck in traffic in Chicago
A video circulated on social media showing lounge chairs on the rooftop pool deck being lifted by the wind and thrown into traffic on the road below. The incident happened on June 10th in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, CBS News Chicago reported.
Video shows multiple chairs crashing from the skyscraper onto the road, some hitting cars and other drivers trying to avoid the projectiles.
On the same day, NBC5 reported that windows in two high-rise buildings were broken in Chicago during the storm.
Contributor: Steven Spearie, Springfield State Journal Register. Adrian Davis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
