Winds of over 80mph, severe flooding, and tornadoes have left three people dead and more than 800,000 without power in four US states. The storms, which swept through Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky on Tuesday, brought with them gusts of over 80mph, tearing down trees and power lines. In Indiana, a four-year-old child died after a tree fell on his home in Geneva Township, while a person died in a suspected weather-related house explosion in Portage, a city about 30 miles southeast of Chicago.
Ohio's Governor, Mike DeWine, reported that one person died after flooding obstructed first responders from reaching the individual in Roseville. DeWine urged Ohioans to prepare for more dangerous storms, as the National Weather Service warned of flash flooding, tornadoes, and dangerous straight-line winds. "I encourage everyone to pay close attention to local media reports and take these weather warnings seriously," he said, adding that "even after the storms exit the state, flooding will remain a serious concern."
The National Weather Service's storm prediction center recorded straight-line winds, known as derecho, at speeds of 99mph in Gary, Indiana. DeWine also signed a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in Perry and Muskingum counties, where severe flooding caused residents to be evacuated by swift water rescue teams. The National Weather Service warned of "considerable flooding" in Ohio through Friday.
Nearly 800,000 electricity customers across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky were still without power as of Wednesday morning, according to poweroutage.us. Utility provider AEP reported that the area of Columbus, Ohio, experienced gusts of over 80mph, with trees falling on power lines. The company had more than 2,000 workers trying to restore electricity. Downed trees and power lines from the storms prevented emergency crews from accessing a house fire in Portage, Indiana, where a person died.
Portage Police Chief, Mike Candiano, described the scene, saying "it seemed that every road had a tree down." Police Captain, Rob Maynard, added that the storms were "probably the most severe weather event that any of us here can remember." The child who died in Jennings County was killed when a tree fell on his bedroom at around 3:30 pm. County Chief Sheriff's Deputy, Cody Low, attributed the death to "contributions from wind and the storms that came through this county earlier."
Elsewhere, 16 people at a prison in Grafton, Ohio, were taken to hospitals after lightning struck as inmates returned from an evening meal. There were two confirmed tornadoes near Chicago, according to the National Weather Service. In Columbus, Mayor Andrew Ginther warned that power could be out for days, saying "I want to encourage everybody to plan on a very different next couple of days and rest of the week." Ginther urged residents to "plan on a very different next couple of days and rest of the week," as the city works to recover from the storms.
