Severe thunderstorms with destructive winds swept across Illinois and Wisconsin on Wednesday afternoon. Over 200,000 individuals lost power due to storms, prompting urgent alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS). This event is part of a broader multiday severe weather outbreak across the Midwest. Forecasters warned that dangerous storms could continue through Thursday. Major cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay face risks from these storms.
Threats and Impact of the Storms
Meteorologists identified key threats, including wind gusts up to 100 mph, large hail, tornadoes, and heavy rain causing flash flooding. AccuWeather reported that more than 200 million people might be affected. Nearly all of Wisconsin and much of Illinois were under severe thunderstorm warnings or watches as of late Wednesday afternoon.
A severe thunderstorm warning from the NWS office in Green Bay at 3:38 p.m. local time highlighted storms capable of 90 mph wind gusts in Calumet and eastern Winnebago counties. Described as “life-threatening,” these winds were comparable to tornado speeds. The storm moved northeast at around 60 mph, affecting communities like Appleton, Menasha, and areas near Lake Winnebago. Forecasters warned about potentially deadly flying debris and severe damage to homes, businesses, and trees, with widespread power outages expected.
Power Outages and Utility Impact
Animated radar images from Windy.com depicted a line of severe storms from Illinois through Wisconsin. As storms advanced, power outages surged. By 3:54 p.m. Central time, over 92,000 customers were without power statewide according to poweroutage.us, affecting 3.1% of tracked users. Multiple utilities faced outages:
- Alliant Energy: Nearly 44,000 customers without power
- We Energies: Over 21,000 outages
- Madison Gas & Electric: More than 10,000 outages
- Xcel Energy and Wisconsin Public Service: Several thousand outages each
Southern and central Wisconsin, especially Winnebago County, saw severe disruptions with clusters of outages in Oshkosh and nearby areas. Illinois experienced even more outages, with nearly 120,000 reported by 5:13 p.m. Eastern time, mainly in Will County in northeastern Illinois. Several utilities were hit:
- Commonwealth Edison Company: Over 105,000 without power
- Ameren: Over 10,000 without power
- Jo-Carroll Energy: More than 2,000 without power
Ongoing Threats and Precautions
Severe thunderstorm warnings usually cover short periods, but this broad threat persists. Wednesday’s severe weather pattern could continue into Thursday, allowing more storms with little notice. Forecasters encouraged the public to stay alert for updates, as new rounds of strong winds, hail, or isolated tornadoes might occur after initial storms. Tornado and severe thunderstorm watches remained in effect across the Plains and Midwest as of 5 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday.