Two rounds of severe storms brought destructive winds and heavy downpours on Monday, leaving roads flooded, trees toppled and tens of thousands of people without power in Lake County.
The first round of storms began entering Lake and McHenry counties just before 11 a.m. Monday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago issued severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of both counties.
The storms brought widespread damage with their destructive winds, large hail and torrential downpours, with significantly more reports of damage in Lake County than McHenry County.
The second round of storms moved into Lake County at around 3:35 p.m., with the severe portions affecting the eastern half of the county.
In Waukegan, flooding was reported on Green Bay Road north of Belvidere Road.
Waukegan Public Works crews are still tending to several calls, like downed trees.
In one case, a downed tree was reportedly completely blocking Yorkhouse Road east of Lewis Avenue.
“Our Public Works crews are out in full force clearing storm debris, with crews focusing on main roads first before moving into neighborhoods and side streets,” the City of Waukegan said.
In Gurnee, flooding was reported on Washington Street under Route 21 and parts of Grand Avenue on the east side of town.
A part of a tree fell on power lines in the yard of a home near West Keith Avenue and Green Place in unincorporated Waukegan.
In Zion, downed power lines caught the back of a house on fire in the 2900 block of Gilboa Avenue.
The Zion-Benton Public Library lost power and closed early.
In Lake Bluff, a vehicle stalled due to flooding at the Route 176 viaduct under Sheridan Road.
Significant flooding was reported on Audrey Nixon Boulevard at Sheridan Road in North Chicago.
In Lake Forest, emergency crews responded to live power lines that were down on Route 43 north of Conway Road.
Some drivers were reportedly driving over the wires as emergency responders scrambled to control traffic and shut down the road.
At Riverwoods Road and Duffy Lane in Lincolnshire, motorists were forced to detour due to power lines that fell.
In Deerfield, a tree fell and blocked the roadway at Deerfield Road and Woodward Avenue.
The Port Clinton Parking Garage in Highland Park experienced flooding and is closed until pump repairs are complete.
Malfunctioning traffic signals were also reported throughout the county.
The railroad gates on Route 137 just east of Route 41 in North Chicago malfunctioned, causing a major traffic backup during rush hour.
A myriad of other facilities like the Lake Forest Recreation Center, Lake Bluff Recreation Center and Lake Bluff Public Library were forced to close.
The Waukegan City Hall building also lost power and closed.
A spokesperson for ComEd told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that ComEd was monitoring the storms and increased staffing.
Around 300,000 ComEd customers across the region were affected by the storms.
“When heavy storms like this hit, ComEd always prioritizes restoration for critical infrastructure like hospitals, nursing homes and schools, followed by dispatching crews to the hardest hit areas to make repairs that will bring the most amount of customers back online,” the spokesperson said.
County officials urged drivers to slow down and exercise extra caution.
“Turn around, don’t drown!” the Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) said.
Anyone who comes across a downed power line should assume it is live and should stay away.