A tornado touched down Wednesday evening near Chicagos O’Hare airport, prompting passengers to take cover and wreaking havoc on flight schedules. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado near the air hub and said it was touching the ground intermittently and moving east. Sirens rang across the city, and the airport’s departure screens lit up with warnings.
All departures at O’Hare and Midway were grounded, with outgoing flights delayed, the US Federal Aviation Administration said. Hundreds of flights were canceled, according to the FlightAware tracking website. One online video showed people taking shelter in the tunnels between concourses at O’Hare.
The storms moved through the greater Chicago area Wednesday afternoon and were expected to sweep west, bringing more severe weather. Officials warned people to stay off the roads and to seek shelter if necessary, and many schools in the metropolis closed as a precaution.
The tornado that hit the airport was rated as an EF-1, meaning it had sustained wind speeds of up to 113 mph (177 km/h) and caused roof damage, windows were blown out, and some structural damage was reported. No injuries were immediately reported.
It was the latest in violent tornadoes striking the greater Chicago area. At least eight tornadoes touched down in four counties in northeastern Illinois, including four in Cook County, which is home to Chicago, and officials urged residents to take shelter.
Several twisters also hit nearby areas, with authorities saying trees were uprooted, roofs blown off in the town of Countryside, and car windows damaged in La Grange. Extensive damage was also reported in Indiana’s Sullivan County, where three people were killed, and eight others were hurt.
The local sheriff said some mobile homes were destroyed, and residents had to be rescued from the rubble. “We’ve had some instances where they had to dig people out of their basements because their homes are ripped apart,” he told reporters.
At the airport, all flights were halted as the tornado approached. People were encouraged to take shelter in the United Club lounge and the tunnels connecting two of the airport’s concourses. One passenger documented the experience on social media, describing being “turfed out” of the United Club and told to take refuge in the tunnels.
