Tornado Reported In NW Indiana As Memorial Day Storms Move Through Chicago Area

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Ping-pong-ball size hail and a tornado hits parts of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana on Memorial Day.

The tornado touched down about 4:30 p.m. near the Illinois/Indiana border just east of south suburban Sauk Village, the National Weather Service said. It is unclear if anyone was injured.

The weather service continued to warn of imminently possible tornadoes in northwest Indiana as the storm moved east at 40 mph. In south suburban Steger, hail the size of ping-pong balls was reported, the weather service said.

Tornado Warning including Portage IN, Merrillville IN, Valparaiso IN until 6:45 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/YKkC45rztm

The storms were expected to move out of the Chicago area by 9 p.m.

State police reported major flooding that cut off an underpass on 95th Street in southwest suburban Bridgeview.

Earlier in the afternoon, a tornado watch was issued until 9 p.m. for most of northern Illinois and parts of Iowa and northwest Indiana.

Strong to severe storms mov E 40-45 mph. Frequent lightning, isolated flooding. Wind,hail,tornadoes psbl. Be alert for warnings #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/FBZMv0EbZU

Heavy rainfall is likely to accompany the storms, which may result in flash flooding in some areas, the weather service said. Frequent lightning and heavy winds could also cause damage throughout the area. Residents were advised to remain indoors until the storms pass.

By 6 p.m., nearly 600 flights had been canceled at O'Hare and Midway International airports, the Chicago Department of Aviation said. Delays at O'Hare were averaging over an hour-and-a-half.

A total of 12,000 ComEd customers were without power shortly after 4 p.m., according to the utility company. Of those, 9,000 were in Cook County.

For more info on the tornardo warning, visit the National Weather Service's page. 

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2019. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)