The storms caused mainly isolated damage in the Chicago area, from trees down to a roof blown off a business in northwest suburban Wheeling.
In that suburb, the storms stripped three commercial buildings of their roofs, leaving tar paper, wood, and metal littered across the parking lot. Some of the debris rained down on parked cars.
None of the people inside the granite countertop manufacturing business in question were hurt.
There were some high voltage power lines down so the area was roped off. Gas crews were also on the scene late Tuesday evening.
In Kane County, sheets of heavy rain and wind hit the area as the storms struck near dusk.
Construction signs and barrels reportedly were blown across the highway. Wind gusts reached speeds of 65 to 70 miles per hour.
In the Hegewisch neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, trees were ripped from their roots, a few homes got swiped by downed limbs, power lines were knocked down, and the lights were out thanks to damaged transformers.
ComEd said that as of about 10 p.m. Tuesday, 23,000 customers in the city and suburbs were without power.
No significant injuries were reported as a result of the storm, but there is a fair mess to clean up.
