DETROIT – A line of severe weather swept across Michigan and the Great Lakes region Tuesday afternoon and evening, leaving more than 400,000 utility customers in the dark as thunderstorms with hurricane-force wind gusts and tennis ball-sized hail wreaked havoc in portions of the Midwest.
Hurricane-force Wind Gusts Slam Detroit International Airport
More than 100 damage reports were received from the Midwest to the Great Lakes on Tuesday, including a 76-mph gust at Detroit International Airport, which is equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
Numerous reports of wind gusts ranging from 60 to 70 mph were also reported, including 66 mph gusts at Oakland County International Airport and 63 mph gusts in Flint, Michigan.
Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph hit the Chicago area and its northern suburbs, with an unofficial wind gust of 80 mph recorded in Wauconda, Illinois. The gusts were strong enough to topple trees and knock down power lines around the region.
The debris from the toppled trees and utility lines was dispersed in all directions, clogging roads and disrupting movement, as well as landing on homes and businesses.
One tree reportedly fell on a residence in Perry, Michigan, while a car was damaged by a falling tree on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing.
A video uploaded from St. Clair County, Michigan, shows some of the devastation left behind by the severe weather on Tuesday.
The footage depicts innumerable trees and branches that were felled during the storm, with debris covering trees and even dangerously near to homes.
Crews have been trying to clear the rubble and open up blocked roadways, but much work remains to be completed.
Tennis Ball-sized Hail Falls in Illinois
In addition to the wind, big hail was observed in several locations.
The greatest hail report of 2.5 inches, the size of a tennis ball, came from the Woodstock area of Illinois, while other reports of hail larger than 1 inch were received throughout Illinois and Michigan.
Following the storms, work began and continued into the night to restore power to over 400,000 utility customers across many states.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 300,000 consumers in Michigan were still without power, while Illinois had more than 16,000 outages. Power disruptions continue in Minnesota days after heavy storms hit the area on Monday.
Those storms left tens of thousands of utility customers without power and forced fairgoers at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul to flee for safety as torrential rains poured and caused flash floods.