More than 10 tornadoes reported in stormy Chicago night — including twisters near both airports

As many as 10 tornadoes were reported in the Chicago area Monday night — including two at O'Hare and Midway airports and at least two others in the far western suburbs as severe thunderstorms returned to the Chicago area, knocking out electricty for hundreds of thousands of residents.

"We are seeing power flashes on both the O'Hare and Midway Airport webcams due to likely tornadoes and/or destructive wind gusts near those areas," the National Weather Service tweeted shortly before 10 p.m. "Continue to take these warnings seriously!!"

As of 9:45 p.m., the weather service reported 10 active tornadoes in the Chicago area, according to ABC7 and WGN-TV meterologists. That included tornadoes along Interstate 88 headed toward Aurora, over Warrenville, near Naperville and in Joliet.

It was too early to assess possible damage — but power outages were widespread.

Shortly after 10 p.m., ComEd was reporting 2,226 outages affecting 201,217 customers.

The Chicago Fire Department said no injuries had been reported by 10:30 p.m. despite confirming a number of downed trees, power lines and porches.

"We have several locations with live power lines on the ground," the Chicago Fire Department tweeted. "Do not approach or investigate areas with power out and trees down. Voltage may be charging wet ground. ComEd is responding all across city."

The National Weather Service reported that a “complex of destructive storms across eastern Iowa” was moving toward Illinois around 7 p.m. A tornado warning was issued for Cook County. A flood watch was also issued for 6 p.m. Monday, lasting until 3 a.m. Tuesday as heavy rains were poised to hit areas that have already seen substantial rainfall on the heels of Sunday’s storm.

The agency had also confirmed at least two tornadoes — one near Oswego and another near Sugar Grove — through radar just after 9 p.m. Monday. Cook County was put under a tornado warning until 10 p.m.

As a potential twister was reported in downtown Chicago, ABC7's meteorologists reported their support staff were seeking shelter in lower-level areas of their Loop studios.

The Romeoville office of the National Weather Service at one point took shelter from a tornado themselves, putting responsibilities on another nearby office.

Ahead of Monday night’s storms, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago asked residents to reduce their water use. Limiting the amount of water used in a household helps prevent flooding and protects the water quality, according to the district.

St. Charles also canceled its Monday City Council meeting to "ensure everyone's safety," a spokesperson announced shortly before 5 p.m.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jake Petr said the storms would be "damaging to even locally destructive" and that the agency expected them to maintain their intensity "across northern Illinois." The main hazards, according to him, would be the high winds and potential for "several" tornadoes.

“[Monday night’s weather] is a step up in intensity from yesterday, but last evening’s was still pretty strong,” he said on Moonday. “If a warning is issued for anyone’s area, they'll want to certainly take them seriously tonight.”

Because of this, Chicago residents should have a plan for shelter, Petr said. While basements are usually the safest option during a tornado, flash flooding could change that — roads, low-lying areas and basements are most at-risk for flooding.

“It's a night to pay attention to the weather,” Petr said earlier Monday. “Have multiple ways to receive warning information, and if a warning is issued for your area, make sure to seek shelter in an interior room, or even a basement, with the caveat that there could be some localized flash flooding. So know your location and take shelter with what works best.”

While it was too early to tell, Petr said it was likely Monday night's storms would be classified as a derecho — a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms that can cause tornado-like damage on its own — after they passed through.

Severe storms Sunday night also led to two tornadoes touching down in Chicago, according to the National Weather Service.

The first started near Midway International Airport at 10:31 p.m. Sunday, blowing through Bronzeville with peak winds of 80 mph. The strong winds moved a plane on the tarmac. At around 10:45 p.m. a Southwest aircraft, while stationary and empty, “made contact with a jet bridge,” according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Shortly after, a second EF-0 tornado formed in Englewood and blew east through Jackson Park.

Thousands called the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Monday reporting tree debris and damage caused by fallen branches. The agency also fielded 311 calls for other storm damage: 104 for water in a basement, 207 for water in the street, 231 for downed wires, 138 for damaged streetlight poles and 178 for dead traffic signals, a spoksperson said.

Among them was Maggie Paul, whose bad car luck got even worse early Monday morning.

As severe thunderstorms and two tornadoes swept through Chicago, a massive, aging tree branch broke off and smashed her parked car on Campbell Avenue in Logan Square just after midnight.

Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

“My upstairs neighbor texted me at like midnight and was like, ‘Are you up? I think you should come outside. I just got home, and there’s a tree on your car,’” Paul said.

She’s only had the green Honda HR-V for six months. It’s a replacement for her last car after the engine exploded. Her new car was the only one on the block hit by the branch on Monday.

“I think I’m cursed at this point,” Paul said.