Martin Dean scanned the parking lot, shining his flashlight into the shattered window of his car. Behind him, large white pillars lay scattered, torn from an apartment building, now among the debris of a collapsed roof. It had been hours since a tornado struck Merrillville. This town in northwest Indiana, like others outside Chicago, faced destruction Thursday night, following two days of severe weather that hit the Midwest.
Weather officials planned to survey the storm damage throughout Friday to assess the extent and strength of the tornadoes. According to Kevin Doom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chicago, Merrillville’s path of wreckage suggests a tornado did move through and around the area. Damage extended west towards St. John and northeast by Hobart, Doom reported early Friday morning. Further information about the number of tornadoes affecting Illinois and northwestern Indiana was expected later on Friday.
In addition to Merrillville, areas like Streator and Dwight in north-central Illinois and southern Lake County in Indiana experienced possible tornadoes. With clear skies forecasted for Friday, residents could evaluate the full impact of the storms. On Wednesday alone, reports documented over a dozen tornadoes across northern Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois. These storms led to power outages for hundreds of thousands and flights delays or cancellations in Chicago.
Thursday brought another wave of storms with alerts for flooding, thunderstorms, high winds, and tornadoes. The weather caused the cancellation of the White Sox game against the Atlanta Braves and delayed a Mumford & Sons concert at Wrigley Field. Martin Dean received an alert about the storm while he was finishing work in Lake County. A 35-year-old man from Chicago’s South Side, he regularly visits Merrillville for his work as an independent contractor and was in town Thursday.
As Dean was preparing to shower at a friend’s apartment, he noticed debris flying and heard everything crashing down. By nearly 11 p.m. Thursday, he inspected the damage himself. Debris covered parking spaces, a car windshield shattered, and a power line draped over his truck. Dean remarked, “This is terrible — it’s going to take a couple days to clean this up.” Despite the destruction, he was relieved that people were safe.
As dawn broke Friday, Maria Williams, wearing blue scrubs, stood outside her home. Debris covered her lawn, and a tree lay uprooted. Her house’s roof was stripped to the wooden frame. Williams’ four of five children grew up in the home, and she was uncertain about rebuilding. The psychiatric nurse had planned her night shift Thursday when her daughter Kari called, reporting a likely tornado hit on their home.
Kari, along with her 12-year-old brother, was watching Netflix unaware of the looming storms. When the wind picked up, they were forced from the basement due to ceiling cracks and sought safety with a neighbor. Williams, learning from her daughter’s call, hurried home without considering her shift or the drive. Arriving in darkness, the power outage obscured the damage.
With daylight, the full extent of the disaster was clear. Struggling for words, Williams expressed her loss, noting the hard work she put into her home. The tornado left destruction in its wake.