Storm Rips Through, Downs Trees, Leaves Thousands Without Power

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL -- Storms ripped through northern Illinois Tuesday evening and left behind downed trees, damaged power lines and left thousands without power. Huntley, Algonquin and Lake in the Hills were among towns hardest hit by the powerful storm, which ripped through McHenry and Lake counties between 4:40 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and brought with it 70 mph wind gusts in some areas.

Emergency management officials and trained spotters reported damage to power lines and trees in Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, North Barrington, Lake Zurich, Gurnee, Libertyville and Mundelein, according to the National Weather Service.

In many of these towns, emergency crews were called to deal with downed tree branches and trees in roadways. In Libertyville, tree branches landed on power lines that were burning, according to the National Weather Service. In Huntley, a tree went through the roof of a house on 2nd and Church Streets. The branch landed in a bedroom less than two feet from the bed, according to CBS Chicago.

The home's owner, Alex Nuccio, said he was inside at the time.

"There were limbs falling down. Rain was swirling. I looked at the front door and all of a sudden, a big boom. I came running upstairs," he told CBS Chicago.

The storm moved across Illinois, starting in Ogle County and moving through northern DeKalb, northern Kane, southern McHenry, far northern Cook and then through southern Lake County during the afternoon and evening hours. At one point, as many as 30,000 people were without power in Huntley, Algonquin and Lake in the Hills area, according to the National Weather Service.

Here is a closer look at a timeline of storm reports from across the area:

• 4:38 p.m.: Reports of numerous large branches down in Burlington.
• 4:40 p.m.: Reports of multiple trees and power lines damaged in the Burlington and Hampshire areas.
• 4:44 p.m.: A report of a large tree blocking County Line Road near Barber Greene Road north of Maple Park.
• 4:50 p.m.: McHenry County Emergency Management reported a measured 70 mph wind gust just north of Huntley. There were also reports of power line and tree damage in Huntley.
• 4:50 p.m.: McHenry County Emergency Management reports abundant tree damage across Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin and nearby area. There were around 30,000 without power and homes were also affected by downed trees and branches.
• 4:55 p.m.: McHenry County Emergency Management reports power line and tree damage in the Lake in the Hills and Algonquin areas.
• 4:57 p.m.: Trees and power lines were reported down near Echo Woods Drive and River Road in McHenry.
• 4:57 p.m.: A 55 mph wind gust recorded in Sugar Grove.
• 4:58 p.m.: Wind damage reported in Lake in the Hills. Numerous trees down.
• 5 p.m.: A trained spotter reported an overturned semi on I-39 near Tonica.
• 5:05 p.m.: Lake County Emergency Management reported power line and tree damage in North Barrington near Mohawk Drive and Signal Hill Road.
• 5:05 p.m.: Lake County Emergency Management reported a tree blocking the road at Concord Lane and Kimberly Road.
• 5:05 p.m.: Lake County Emergency Management reported power lines were down on North Old Rand Road in Lake Zurich.
• 5:10 p.m.: Kane County Emergency Management reported large trees and power lines down on a house and car near Garfield Avenue and Franklin Avenue in Aurora.
• 5:15 p.m.: Lake County Emergency Management reported a power pole that was damaged and tree limbs down on power lines that were burning in Libertyville.
• 5:16 p.m.: A trained spotter in measured 53 mph wind gust in Libertyville .
• 5:20 p.m.: Lake County Emergency Management reported power line damage in Gurnee.
• 5:20 p.m.: Lake County Emergency Management reports power line and tree damage along Olga Road in Mundelein.

The full National Weather Service report from Tuesday's storms can be found on the National Weather Service website.

On Wednesday morning, ComEd crews were still out dealing with power outages. Hundreds remained without power Wednesday morning across Northern Illinois. The ComEd power outage map provides updates on ComEd crews' progress on addressing the outages.

Clean up efforts are also underway in the town's hardest hit, including Huntley.

If you have photos of storm damage in your neighborhood, you can share with Patch by e-mailing the editor at amie.schaenzer@patch.com. Please include on information on where the photo was taken and who took the picture. Your photos may be used for publication in Patch articles.

Photo caption: A tree blocks Hansen Road at Harnish Road in Algonquin. Photo credit: Ralph Stachura