The Chicago area was lashed with a second round of severe thunderstorms Thursday, causing massive issues on roadways across the region.
In Merrillville, Indiana, a tornado is believed to have ripped through the town during Thursday’s storms, and multiple roads in the community were closed, including State Road 53, according to Total Traffic.
Illinois State Police meanwhile said US-18 leading into Streator was closed after a confirmed tornado touched down in the community, destroying or damaging numerous structures in the process.
A possible tornado touchdown also occurred in suburban Bartlett, and storm damage has closed down multiple roadways, including Route 59, according to Total Traffic.
Another possible tornado touchdown was reported in Kenosha, and Highway 142 is closed in that community.
Elsewhere flooding issues caused by extremely heavy rain caused traffic issues in numerous areas, including in McHenry, where Front Street was closed after the area received more than three inches of rain in a matter of hours.
There was also flooding reported on the Dan Ryan Expressway, with a handful of vehicles seen stranded near the roadway.
Downed tree limbs could be seen littered across Chicago near Washington Park on Thursday after severe storms rolled left damage across the region.
Scattered other closures were also reported in Beach Park, Waukegan and several other area communities after the storms.
The storms also led to thousands of power outages around the area, leading to street light issues in numerous communities according to ComEd and Total Traffic.
NBC Chicago will continue to cover developments on area roadways throughout the night and into Friday morning, both on our air and via our mobile app.
