Suburbs cleaning up from ‘microbursts’ as thousands remain without power
Residents of a four-story apartment complex in Mount Prospect spent Sunday putting their lives back together after what officials believe was a microburst partially ripped the roof off the building Saturday afternoon, hurling debris into the parking lot and a nearby field.
The property at 701 Huntington Commons Road, one of dozens across the suburbs left damaged after Saturday’s storm, was deemed uninhabitable and remained blocked off by a fence Sunday.
The damage was left behind by a powerful line of thunderstorms that swept through the suburbs Saturday afternoon and evening, producing microbursts with winds up to 75 mph.
Among the communities that experienced severe weather were Palatine, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Schaumburg, Cary and Aurora.
In addition to wind damage, the storms produced hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter and heavy rainfall, including more than four inches reported in Sugar Grove.
A lightning strike is the suspected cause of a house fire in Downers Grove.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a microburst likely responsible for ripping the roof off the Mount Prospect apartment building at about 4:35 p.m. Saturday. The phenomenon occurs when intense downdrafts from thunderstorms accelerate toward the ground and spread outward upon impact, creating localized wind speeds that can rival weaker tornadoes.
“You can get winds that are faster than the actual storm movement,” said Mark Ratzer, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Romeoville.
Some storms are as high as 50,000 or 60,000 feet above ground, and when rain and hail descends, it causes a downdraft that can accelerate and plow into the ground.
As of Sunday evening, nearly 24,000 ComEd customers remained without power, with the heaviest concentrations in the Northwest suburbs and central DuPage County.
ComEd spokesperson Tom Dominguez said power should be completely restored by 2 p.m. Monday. Nearly 550 crews are working around the clock to meet the deadline, he said.
No injuries were reported in Mount Prospect, but the village’s human services department and the American Red Cross were assisting residents of the building’s more than 60 units left homeless.
“We are incredibly lucky that a storm of this violence did not result in serious injury or loss of life,” Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Cassady said. “I am grateful for how our first-responder professionals in police, fire, public works, building, and human services responded immediately to ensure the safety of our residents.”
Those on the scene Sunday morning found wood beams, siding, roofing and yellow insulation material strewed about the parking lot.
Resident Janel Bay was standing outside the building Sunday carrying her 4-year-old son, Elman. She was among the residents who sought shelter at the Mount Prospect Park District’s RecPlex after being unable to access her first-floor unit Saturday.
Bay was not home when the storm hit. She learned about the damage when a friend reached out asking about the large emergency response at the building.
When her husband went inside to retrieve important documents from their unit, he found their belongings completely soaked.
The RecPlex provided emergency shelter for displaced residents, offering meals, beds, blankets and other essential supplies, Bay said. It’s too early to figure out what happens next for the family, she said.
“Honestly, I'm still processing,” Bay added.
Kelly Bell lives in a nearby building that was not damaged by the storm, but her car suffered heavy damage from flying debris.
Other Mount Prospect residents left without air conditioning due to power outages are encouraged to visit cooling centers at the Mount Prospect Police Headquarters, 911 Kensington Road, or the RecPlex.