Thunderstorms topple small plane, leave damage and power outages in wake in Chicago area Monday

Two rounds of swift but strong thunderstorms blew through Chicago Monday morning and afternoon, toppling a small plane at Midway Airport and leaving some power outages and damage in their wake.

The first round of storms rolled through in the early morning hours, briefly causing a ground stop at Chicago O'Hare International Airport between 7:45 and 8:20 a.m.

The second round of storms arrived around 11 a.m. and quickly blew through the Chicago area from west to east, bringing blinding sheets of rain and gusting winds. 

As of 4 p.m., less than 5,000 customers in the Chicago area were without power, according to ComEd. Crews were working to restore power at the reported outages. 

At Midway International Airport, a 79 mph wind gust was reported during the storms. A gust of wind at the airport knocked over a small plane and caused a fuel spill. No passengers were on board, and no one was injured.

Standing water and downed tree branches were reported in southwest suburban Joliet. In Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, a tree was knocked down and blocked the street near Barry and Lakewood.

Another round of showers and storms is expected Monday night into Tuesday as a cold front moves through, followed by cooler, breezy, and quieter weather by midweek.

Additional rain chances return toward next weekend.