Overview
- A powerful storm system produced hurricane‑force gusts, large hail and widespread damage across Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan on Wednesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
- The National Weather Service confirmed tornado touchdowns in Streator and Odell, Illinois, with preliminary reports of building damage and injuries in Streator.
- Local authorities said a 54‑year‑old man was killed in Des Moines when a tree fell on a homeless encampment during the storms.
- The Storm Prediction Center issued an enhanced (level 3 of 5) severe‑storm outlook and warned some cells could become long‑lived supercells capable of very large hail, tornadoes or 70–75 mph wind gusts.
- PowerOutage.us tracked outages that rose from more than 400,000 earlier in the event to over 650,000 by late Thursday as flights were canceled, commuter rail service was halted and courts and other services closed, and officials said saturated soils will complicate recovery and raise local flood risk.