Storm threat shifts into the East after tornadoes, winds kill 1 and level homes in the central US
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By Meteorologists Mary Gilbert, Chris Dolce, CNN
(CNN) — A destructive and deadly week-long stretch of storms and tornadoes in the central US has finally ended, but more danger could be on tap for much of the East on Friday.
The final blow in the heartland came in the form of hurricane-force wind gusts and more than a dozen reported tornadoes that raked through towns in the Midwest and Plains on Thursday, leveling homes in Indiana and Illinois. They were joined by a separate bout of powerful storms that downed trees and knocked out power in parts of the Northeast.
All told, there have been nearly 1,500 reports of wind damage, hail and tornadoes in the central and eastern US since Sunday — one of the most active periods of severe storms so far this year.
Friday’s severe storms in the East will only pile on; the expansive potential storm zone spans from eastern New York and western New England south to North Carolina, and includes major cities like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC.
Destructive tornadoes hit Illinois, Indiana
Thursday’s storms struck the Midwest in two rounds.
A 54-year old man in Des Moines, Iowa, killed by a downed tree during the first round of storms in the morning is the only death reported so far. The tree broke apart and fell in a homeless encampment as storms moved through the city. The police are working to confirm the man’s identity.
The tornado threat increased during a second round of storms later in the day, particularly in Indiana and Illinois, where most of at least 17 tornadoes were reported.
They included a tornado emergency, the highest-level tornado warning, in Marshall County, in north central Illinois.
About 30 miles east, emergency crews were assessing damage in the city of Streator, Illinois, after a tornado moved through the area Thursday evening. Drone video shows significant damage to multiple houses, some with their roofs entirely torn off.
Video taken by a photojournalist walking through the city shows a man being rescued from a leveled home.
“I think his leg is broken,” a woman is heard saying off camera as the photojournalist and police officers move debris to free the man.
At least four people were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, Streator Mayor Tara Bedei told CNN.
“At this time, there are no reported fatalities, and we are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel, both in Streator and regionally,” Bedei said in a statement.
A tornado was also reported farther south, near Ipava, Illinois, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Drone footage from the area appeared to capture a tornado ripping through a field of solar panels.
Tornadoes were also reported in multiple counties in the northwest of neighboring Indiana. The National Weather Service warned of a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near the town of Hebron in Porter County around 8 p.m. Hours later, officials said they were responding to calls and working to clear fallen trees from roadways, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
About 15 miles north, a Catholic high school in Merrillville, Indiana, sustained heavy damage, but no one was injured as the campus was empty when the storm hit, Andrean High School said in a Facebook post. Classes are suspended and school officials asked community members to stay away while the full impact is assessed, pointing to “active power lines, downed trees, broken glass, significant roof damage, etc that make it unsafe.”
The number of homes and businesses without power across the Midwest and Northeast soared to more than 650,000 late Thursday night as the storms made their way east, according to PowerOutage.us.
Storms head East Friday
The cold front that instigated Thursday’s tornadoes in the Midwest will slice through a hot and humid air mass in the East on Friday afternoon and spawn more storms there.
Damaging wind gusts are the primary threat from Friday’s storms. They will likely be hit-or-miss, but New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, are all in the zone with a higher chance to be impacted.
The threat begins in the afternoon and could last into at least early evening.
Widespread damage Wednesday
Wednesday was one of the three most active severe storm days of the year.
A potent line of storms with destructive winds over 80 mph swept across Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan in the afternoon and evening, causing widespread damage and knocking out power to over 400,000 homes and businesses, according to PowerOutage.us.
More than 1,000 flights were delayed or canceled at Chicago-area airports, according to FlightAware.
The intense winds also partially tore off the roof of a Chicago-area apartment building, forcing residents to leave, according to NBC 5 Chicago.
Multiple tornadoes struck northern Missouri and southern Iowa when a second round of storms fired up late in the day.
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CNN’s Kate S. Petersen, Diego Mendoza and Rhea Mogul contributed to this story.
