ABC7 AccuWeather meteorologists said some showers lingered Friday morning before most of the area dries out.
Residents across northwest Indiana are coming together to help one another as widespread power outages from this week's storms continue to affect hundreds of thousands of people.
Some crashes were reported early Friday morning as the ABC7 morning team warned drivers that roads may be slick.
And more possible storms this weekend could impact the Chicago Bears game and the Chicago Air and Water Show.
On Saturday, more downpours are possible, which could result in flooding.
There is a Flood Warning for Cook County rivers until 1 p.m. Saturday.
Much of the area is under a Level 1 out of 5 risk for severe weather, with damaging wind gusts being a main concern.
The Chicago area's most northwestern counties could see some storms between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. Saturday. But the main line of storms is expected to arrive between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. in the area's western counties. It is expected to move east quickly.
Rain is expected to end between noon and 2 p.m., and pockets of heavy rain could lead to isolated flooding. There is also a chance for storms on Sunday.
This comes as the cleanup from storms earlier this week is expected to take weeks for many people. The National Weather Service said six tornadoes hit the Chicago area on Tuesday.
Pritzker tours tornado-damaged Lansing neighborhood as residents await cleanup and power restoration
Gov. JB Pritzker visited a tornado-damaged Lansing neighborhood Thursday, meeting with residents whose homes and properties were affected by this week's severe storms as many continued to wait for cleanup efforts and power restoration.
On Illinois Street, residents showed the governor damage caused by fallen trees and high winds after a tornado moved through the area Tuesday.
Denisha Dade, whose home was damaged when a large tree fell through a window and into her children's bedroom, said it was meaningful to have state officials see the destruction firsthand.
"It's always helpful when we can have you know government officials come and see what the residents are dealing with, you know, a lot of times you can feel alone in this," Dade said.
Dade said no one was home when the storm struck. A large tree also damaged her driveway after a neighboring oak tree uprooted during the storm.
Nearby resident Mark Hiskes said he was surprised by the loss of a mature oak tree on his property.
"This is the last tree you would expect to fall," Hiskes said.
More storms possible this weekend amid Chicago-area damage cleanup
Mark and Julie Hiskes spoke with Pritzker during the visit and said they hope attention from the governor will help move recovery efforts forward. At the same time, they acknowledged the widespread storm damage experienced across Illinois.
"I personally think the state of Illinois is doing what they can, given the limitations that they face from the federal level," Julie Hiskes said.
Pritzker said state agencies have been responding to the damage and working with local communities as assessments continue.
"The state emergency management agency has been there. Our job is to assess the damage, to work with local businesses and individuals to make sure that we're responding as best we can," Pritzker said.
The governor's visit came after criticism from Republican gubernatorial opponent Darren Bailey, who questioned why Pritzker had not toured storm-damaged areas sooner.
Pritzker defended the timing of his visit, saying he did not want to interfere with recovery and assessment efforts already underway.
"Remember what my job is is to make sure that our agencies are showing up to do the work that they're supposed to do, and we have done that," Pritzker said.
The governor also addressed the process for obtaining federal disaster assistance, saying a disaster declaration requires documentation and review before being submitted to the federal government.
"We take that document, that disaster declaration, and essentially present it to the federal government, saying we've declared a disaster. It's time for you to deliver, and so it doesn't need to happen on day one," Pritzker said.
Residents also expressed concern about ongoing power outages and future storms. Dade said cleanup has been slow in her neighborhood.
"Hopefully we'll start to see some action happening because this area, like we haven't even had any of the trees picked up," she said.
ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones said the utility is focused on strengthening the electric grid to better withstand future weather events.
"We have a proposed grid plan for calendar year 28 to 2031, and that is designed to make sure that our grid is more reliable and more resilient going forward," Quiniones said.
As damage assessments continue, residents in the neighborhood remain without power and await further cleanup efforts. Pritzker said the disaster declaration process is ongoing as the state works to document storm.
Northwest Indiana residents cope with prolonged power outages, community members support neighbors
Residents in northwest Indiana are turning to community organizations for meals, air conditioning and charging stations as power outages continue following Tuesday's storm.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has declared a statewide disaster emergency. The National Guard is there helping with recovery efforts. Governor Braun is now requesting a Presidential Emergency Declaration through FEMA to get additional resources for the severe flooding response and recovery.
Northwest Indiana is still experiencing severe power outages from the storms.
NIPSCO expects that 90% of customers will get power restored by the end of next Tuesday. Others will have to wait until next Friday. ComEd crews expect to have power back on for nearly everyone by Saturday night.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against NIPSCO over power outages from the storms. It was filed by a woman who had to wait days for surgery after breaking her hip.
THe lawsuit claims the utility company should do more to take care of trees before storms, so they do not fall and cause outages.
NIPSCO says its aware of the lawsuit, saying "Our focus remains on supporting our customers and communities impacted by this historic weather event."
Long lines could be seen on Friday morning at the Meijer gas station in Highland, Indiana. Video shows a line of drivers wrapped around the block, leading up to the pumps.
ABC7 is also hearing from families who are struggling to recover from the damage that was left behind. It has been especially tough for one woman and her parents, who are now without a home.
NW Indiana residents cope with prolonged power outages
In Munster, people lined up Friday for meals at the Lions Club, where a generator is providing electricity and a place to cool off. The site is also serving as a charging station for residents still without power.
"We come about 8 a.m. every morning and charge, and then when we're done and everything's ready to go for our power bank, so we head home," said Munster resident Randi Rakos, who visited the center with her two children.
Munster Councilman George Shinkan said community support helped make the effort possible.
"We're going to use this as a cooling center and where we could plug in our devices. And I started going to some of my stores because I'm in the industry and got some donations, burgers, dogs, buns, and all that," Shinkan said.
The Lions Club has a generator, and with donated food and volunteers, organizers plan to provide meals and air conditioning through the weekend. Many volunteers are also dealing with damage and disruptions caused by Tuesday's storm.
"Tons of trees down and housing damage there as well. Power is back for us, but it's sporadic. It's not everywhere. So it's good to see the community coming together to help out," said Matt Barry, scoutmaster of Scouting America Troop 532.
Chris Ylo of the Munster Lions Club said donations have helped keep food available for residents in need.
"We get a lot of donations from hospital, school, other businesses that unfortunately have food that's spoiling," Ylo said.
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In Gary, West Side Leadership Academy distributed grab-and-go lunches. School had started, but officials said classes could not continue without power. The district is also giving away food before it spoils.
"As much as we would love for our students to be in school, we know that safety is always paramount and safety is first. So we've been pivoting. We've had a few successful days with our students, but we're making this work," said Dr. Yvonne Stokes, superintendent of the Gary Community School Corporation.
The outages have created ongoing challenges for residents trying to secure basic necessities.
"You've got to travel to get food. You know, restaurants that are open, gas stations that are not available. You got to go to other cities. You got to find one. You got to wait in line. So it's it's difficult," Gary resident Tanya Cousins said.
On Hovey Street in Gary, neighbors are helping one another while expressing concern for resident Bettye Colvin, who cannot use her mechanical breathing machine for COPD and heart failure without electricity.
"I've been laying down conserving energy," Colvin said.
Other residents continue to deal with extensive storm damage. Roy McGary said a tree fell onto his roof, his basement flooded and he remains without power. He said he has been unable to find a place to stay while recovery efforts continue.
"Terrible. Four weeks. We got to find, and we can't find a place. Not even a hotel. Then they stayed in 100 miles. Even Chicago is booked. You know, so it's it's really bad out here," McGary said.
As restoration work continues, residents across Northwest Indiana are relying on community organizations, volunteers and neighbors for support as they navigate the aftermath of the storm. The YWCA of Gary is also offering support 24 hours until electricity is restored.
At an East Chicago church on Olcott Ave, volunteers organized a community cookout for residents who remain without electricity and are struggling to get through multiple days without power.
Community members support neighbors in NW Indiana storm recovery
"This is love. This is what East Chicago is all about," volunteer Tamye Diaferio said.
Pastor Manuel Corazzari said he decided to organize the event after hearing from community members facing difficult conditions at home.
"We got some phone calls from people who are very discouraged at home no cellphone, no electricity, no food," Corazzari said.
The pastor contacted community leaders and volunteers to bring food and support to residents in need.
"Here in East Chicago it's too many people that don't have a lot of finances, so we wanted to ensure everybody is coming in here and have their spirits uplifted," Corazzari said.
Residents said neighbors have stepped up to help one another while power restoration efforts continue.
"It's coming together little by little sometimes when stuff like this happens we can't depend on anyone but our neighbors and this is what's happening right now," East Chicago resident Juan Fernandez said.
Cleanup efforts also remain underway across Northwest Indiana, where debris is still scattered throughout neighborhoods.
In Chesterton, some residents continued to wait for power to be restored as generators hummed throughout the community.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed and I've been praying for the linemen because it's dangerous," Chesterton resident Nancy Oestreich said.
Power outages remained in East Chicago and other parts of Northwest Indiana, though residents have begun reporting that electricity is being restored in some areas as NIPSCO crews continue working around the clock to restore service.
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The storms are to blame for high bacteria levels at the Indiana Dunes. The National Park Service says people should avoid the water at Central, Porter Beach and the Portage Lakefront until further notice. Some trails at the national park are also closed because of storm damage.
Meanwhile, move-in day for some Illinois State University students turned dangerous in Normal.
Video shared with ABC7 shows heavy downpours and fierce winds at a residence hall. At one point, a big chunk of glass fell, narrowly missing people. The university had widespread power outages, but power has since been restored. Student move-ins will resume on Friday as scheduled.
Residents who sustained storm damage Tuesday and Wednesday in Cook County are being asked to complete an online survey by Aug. 24.