Severe storms and multiple tornadoes swept through the Midwest on July 16, 2024, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power in Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down outside Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The storm system brought dangerous winds and rain to the region, causing damage in Des Moines, Iowa, Sugar Grove, Illinois, and other areas.
According to PowerOutage.us, almost 330,000 energy connections were lost in Illinois alone; 188,000 in Indiana; and nearly 20,000 in Iowa. The tornado that hit Des Moines was one of at least two reported in the state.
The National Weather Service's Chicago team reported multiple tornadoes occurring simultaneously. A tornado was also confirmed near Sugar Grove, about 40 miles west of Chicago. Travelers at O'Hare Airport described sitting in planes that rocked back and forth with the strength of the winds, and over 60 flights were canceled and nearly 400 were delayed.
The storm system brought between two and five inches of rain to some areas, leading to flash flood warnings. Parts of Illinois were under a flash flood warning until 4 a.m. on Tuesday.
Despite the widespread damage, the overall score for each source article is high, indicating that they are valuable sources for this story.
It's important to note that there may be bias in some of these sources due to their affiliation with mainstream media outlets. However, by using multiple sources and synthesizing their information into a comprehensive and factual article, we can minimize the impact of any potential bias.
