Chicago Weather: Cleanup underway after storms drop hail, topple trees

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago area is cleaning up after strong storms caused damage throughout the area Thursday, even touching off a tornado warning.

This first round of storms that prompted severe weather warnings moved into northern Illinois shortly after 11 a.m. and swept through the Chicago area. By early Friday morning, storm watches and warnings for the area were cancelled.

In Oswego, the storm toppled a large tree in front of Roy Taylor's house. A security camera recorded video of the tree coming down. Taylor is glad it didn't fall toward his home.

A storm that swept through the Chicago area Thursday afternoon took down a large tree in southwest suburban Oswego.

He was making his lunch when the storm blew in. Before he could decide whether he should take shelter in his bathroom, the sky started to lighten up again.

"It got darker than I have ever seen it get dark before. The wind was as strong as I've ever seen wind before," Taylor said. "I looked out here and this 100-year-old tree or whatever fell down and nobody heard anything."

Which is worse: Watch or Warning?

Meteorologist Larry Mowry explains the difference between a severe weather watch and a warning.

In Kendall County, road signs swung wildly back and forth and in suburban Plainfield, entire trees were ripped out of the ground.

The heavy rain led to major street flooding. Drivers in Joliet navigated through several inches of standing water.

How do tornadoes form?

Meteorologist Larry Mowry explains why weather conditions need to be just right in order to form a tornado.

In LaSalle County, the storm dropped so much hail, it almost looked like a coating of snow.

Friday morning, some rain could move back into the area, with a few storms possible in the evening as well.