Tornadoes in Relation to Chicago
It is very unknown whether there to be tornadoes in Chicago, or anywhere near the city. It is something that if were to ever happen, may certainly end up being very catastrophic for the people that live in the city, or anywhere around it. Additionally, there are many houses in several counties that are certainly not made to withstand tornadoes whatsoever. However, there may be some measures being taken place from now on as the weather can be very unpredictable, which it was for the city of Chicago yesterday.
Several Tornadoes Touching Down Around Chicago
What first seemed like a simple tornado watch, turned into something way more dangerous over time. Unprecedented to many Chicagoans, turned into something catastrophic. There were several tornadoes that were spotted all around Chicago, in several different counties across the entire state of Illinois. Major attention was being given to these tornadoes, as it is something that many were not ready for whatsoever.
There may have also been several people outside of their homes and away from a shelter in which they could be safe. “The National Weather Service has confirmed tornadoes touched down in Cicero, Huntley, and two tornadoes in Elgin. As many [as] eight tornadoes may have touched down in the area Wednesday, including near O’Hare Airport, in Countryside, La Grange, McCook, Carol Stream, and Oswego,” according to ABC News. Luckily, these tornadoes did not last a very long time and dissipated almost within minutes.
Despite these tornadoes disappearing within minutes, does not mean there was no damage done in these counties, however. Fortunately, there were no people that were hurt at the airports that were hit by tornadoes. No damage was really done to those airports as well.
“Kevin Bargnes, director of communications for O’Hare and Chicago Midway International Airport, said there was no damage at either airport, The Associated Press reported. On Wednesday, [a] video uploaded to Twitter by a reporter showed passengers sheltering at O’Hare International Airport as flights were delayed and canceled,” according to The New York Times. Therefore, there were severe protective measures that were taken into place because of these impromptu tornadoes.
Injuries Because of These Tornadoes
As time continues, there are people that are still searching under debris and roofs of certain houses. This is to be sure that there are no injuries or casualties in relation to the tornadoes. “We’re fortunate to say that we’re unaware of any fatalities or significant injuries from these dangerous storms,” according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
However, despite there being no injuries that have been reported, this is certainly a very scary experience. Not only for citizens but for the entire nation as well. Furthermore, this increases the action that should be taken in relation to climate change and global warming. There are now areas that are being affected by storms of this nature.
Future of Chicago and Measures Taken
There will certainly be a time when there can be more talk about what can be done. However, for the time being, there are still search parties and rescue parties out ensuring that there are no casualties. However, this was only an EF-1 tornado, on the scale of EF-5. It was still a very disastrous tornado that destroyed many houses across these affected counties. This should be a sign that there should be something done. Not only state-wide but nationwide as well. If there is a collective effort to reduce climate change, then certainly there is still time to save the Earth.
Written by David Loran Jr
Sources:
ABC 7 News: Multiple tornado touchdowns reported across Chicago area as residents clean up from storm damage
The New York Times: At Least 3 Tornados Confirmed on Wednesday in Chicago Area
The Chicago Sun-Times: Roofs torn off, trees uprooted, but no known injuries after tornadoes churned across Chicago area
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Greg Patterson’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Friscocali’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
