Tornado threats Wednesday as two rounds of storms move into Chicago area
Two rounds of potentially severe thunderstorms are moving into the Chicago area on Wednesday.
Some storms could produce wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour, large hail, and torrential rainfall, especially near and south of I-80.
The first round of storms is expected between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Heavy rain, hail, and wind are the main threats, especially south of I-80.
A Tornado Watch has been issued for a large section of Illinois until 3 p.m. The immediate Chicago area is not part of the watch, but LaSalle and Grundy counties in the CBS News Chicago viewing area are.
A flood watch will take effect from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. for most of the area.
The second round of storms, bringing hazards including strong tornadoes, is expected to arrive between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.
By late Wednesday afternoon, and into the evening, the atmosphere may become favorable for tornadoes, widespread damaging winds, and flash flooding.
The highest risk for a few tornadoes to the south of I-80 and into northwest Indiana
Thousands still without power after tornadoes last week
Days after a severe weather outbreak, thousands of NIPSCO customers are still without power and are bracing for the next rounds of severe weather.
Storms on June 11 brought at least 13 tornadoes to Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Tornadoes downed power lines and destroyed houses.
Last week, over 86,000 customers were impacted by outages in Indiana. NIPSCO said crews have since restored power to around 95% of impacted customers.
As of Thursday morning, over 1,400 customers are still without power across northern Indiana. Merrillville was among the hardest hit areas still waiting for power restoration.
