Wind and overnight storms have left multiple people without power and scattered damage across McHenry and Lake counties early Saturday.
Several stretches of road were closed in Hebron because of downed wires, authorities said, while the city of McHenry announced the “ShamROCKS the Fox” festival was scaled down due to high wind advisories.
The city of McHenry announced on Facebook that they will still dye the Fox River green, the parade will take place as scheduled, and many activities are still taking place.
Severe thunderstorm warnings in Lake and McHenry counties were issued Friday night and into early Saturday morning. The weather advisory impacted Algonquin, Woodstock, Wonder Lake, Crystal Lake, and other areas.
In nearby Elgin, the roof of the 100-year-old First United Methodist Church was badly damaged in the storm.
ComEd is still reporting scattered power outages across the county, with the highest concentration near Waukegan, where more than 200 people remain without power, and an additional 145 homes and businesses remain without power near Marengo.
The National Weather Service said strong winds can be expected around the area today with gusts upwards of 45 to 50 mph. The strongest winds will occur in the morning hours and gradually ease during the afternoon.
Strong winds out could also contribute to an increased risk of fire spreading later this morning and afternoon. People are urged to avoid unnecessary burning today and use extra caution when disposing of burning materials.