Overview
- A fast-moving convective system that began in Iowa moved into northern Indiana and the Chicago region on Tuesday and was preliminarily classified by the NWS Storm Prediction Center as a derecho that spawned multiple EF-1 tornadoes.
- Measured gusts reached about 99 mph in Gary, Indiana, and extreme straight-line winds overturned semis, ripped roofs from houses, and blocked major routes including stretches of I-65 and I-94.
- PowerOutage.us and utilities reported peak outages above one million customers across several states with hundreds of thousands still without power the next morning as crews began staged, multi-day restorations.
- A house explosion and fire in Portage, Indiana, killed one person and is under investigation, and other storm-related fatalities include a 4-year-old killed by a fallen tree in Jennings County.
- Local officials declared emergencies, opened shelters and command centers, canceled school openings, and the NWS has deployed survey teams while warning that additional rounds of heavy rain and severe storms could bring more flooding.