Midwest Derecho, Heat Wave Hits US; Thousands Without Power
A powerful derecho carved a 350-mile path of destruction across the Midwest on Wednesday, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and at least one person dead, while the East Coast prepared for dangerously high temperatures expected to impact more than 100 million people.
The FOX Forecast Center confirmed the long-lived windstorm — stretching at least 250 miles in length and 60 miles wide — began in Iowa late Wednesday afternoon before tearing through Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana, according to FOX Weather. Wind gusts exceeded 80 mph across Illinois and Wisconsin, with a 94 mph gust recorded in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Fatality and Widespread Damage
In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment after being struck by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said. The victim was found critically injured Thursday morning and died at the scene, AP News reported.
The National Weather Service received more than a dozen reports of tornadoes Wednesday across northern Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged more than 520 reports of intense wind gusts, many knocking down trees and power lines.
In Springfield, Illinois, two buildings at the Animal Protective League animal shelter were heavily damaged. “It pretty much wiped out our shelter facility, took the roofs off both of our buildings,” said Deana Corbin, the group’s executive director. “It’s a miracle. We were so blessed to not have any injuries of either people or animals.” None of the nearly 150 cats and 28 dogs housed there were injured.
Power Outages and Travel Disruption
At the peak of the storm, approximately 390,000 customers were without power across the Midwest. By Thursday afternoon, that number had been reduced to about 250,000, with Illinois accounting for nearly 168,000 outages and Michigan about 56,000, according to poweroutage.us. FOX Weather reported that at least 500,000 households lost power at the height of the derecho.
Commonwealth Edison Company, which provides electric service across northern Illinois, said the storms had downed poles and wires. “We know how difficult and frustrating it is to be without power, and we truly appreciate your patience,” the company said. “Right now, more than 100 crews are working around the clock to safely and efficiently restore service.”
Air travel was severely disrupted as Chicago O’Hare and Midway airports temporarily halted all flights Wednesday evening. More than 1,000 flights were delayed or canceled. While conditions improved Thursday morning, delays remained elevated throughout the day.
East Coast Heat Wave
As the Midwest assessed damage, a potentially dangerous heat wave was building across the East Coast. Temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (mid-30s Celsius) were forecast for Thursday and Friday from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, with heat index values expected to reach 100°F (38°C) or more. Over 40 record highs could be broken, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Philadelphia declared a Heat Health Emergency beginning Thursday at 11 a.m. through Friday at 8 p.m. Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson activated cooling centers, the PCA Heatline, and Code Red for homeless outreach. “The Health Department declares a Heat Health Emergency when the temperature gets high enough that vulnerable people — especially our elderly neighbors and family members — are at an increased risk of getting sick or dying from the heat,” Dr. Raval-Nelson said in a City of Philadelphia press release.
New York City issued a Heat Advisory from noon Thursday through 8 p.m. Friday, opening over 600 cooling centers across the five boroughs.
Continued Threat
Meteorologists warned that the severe weather threat was not over. A Level 4 out of 5 severe weather risk was issued over Chicago and the Midwest for additional rounds of damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes on Thursday afternoon and evening. NWS Meteorologist Frank Pereira noted that the frontal system driving the storms would continue to produce severe weather across the central Plains and Midwest.
The extreme weather comes as El Niño was officially declared on Thursday, with potential to become the strongest Super El Niño ever recorded, adding broader climate context to the volatile conditions affecting millions of Americans.
What to Watch
Power restoration efforts in the Midwest are expected to continue for days given the widespread damage to poles and wires. On the East Coast, officials urged residents to stay hydrated, check on elderly neighbors, and use cooling centers. The heat emergency in Philadelphia may be extended if forecast conditions worsen, while additional severe storms remain possible across the Midwest through Thursday evening.