3 Dead, Nearly 700,000 Without Power As Powerful Storms Slam the Midwest

A powerful storm system swept across the Midwest this week, killing at least three people, damaging homes and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers across Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Fatalities, Widespread Damage Reported Across Multiple States

A 4-year-old boy died Tuesday when a tree fell on his home in Geneva, Indiana, according to the Jennings County Sheriff's Office. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said a resident of Roseville died during a medical emergency after flooded roads kept first responders from reaching them in time. Authorities in Portage, Indiana, are investigating whether the severe weather contributed to a house explosion that killed one person there.

The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes touched down in counties south of Chicago, and a wind gust of 99 mph was recorded in Gary, Indiana. Forecasters said the intense system that moved from Iowa into Indiana likely qualified as a derecho, a prolonged straight-line wind event capable of damage comparable to a tornado or hurricane.

Nearly 700,000 customers remained without power midday Wednesday across the five affected states, according to poweroutage.us. Columbus, Ohio, Mayor Andrew Ginther declared an emergency Wednesday to give the city time to address continuing outages and storm cleanup, with downed trees and wires reported in many areas.

Flooding Forces Rescues as Storms Also Spark Tornadoes and Fires

Widespread flooding accompanied the wind damage. In Athens County, Ohio, nearly 300 people called 911 for help Tuesday, including 42 involving vehicles stuck in floodwater, with more calls continuing Wednesday as high water moved toward the Ohio River. DeWine sent 40 Ohio National Guard members to assist two counties east of Columbus, and authorities in Ohio and western Pennsylvania reported numerous additional water rescues.

Lightning struck a prison complex southwest of Cleveland Tuesday, injuring 16 incarcerated people who were hospitalized; four remained hospitalized as of Wednesday, including one with severe injuries, according to the Ohio Department of Corrections. In Frankfort, Illinois, a home was declared a total loss after a fire believed to have been sparked by lightning or downed power lines. Dayton, Ohio, set a daily rainfall record of 2.07 inches, breaking a mark that had stood since 1915.

What's Next

The National Weather Service said the threat of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall will continue over the next several days across the Midwest, Ohio Valley and central Appalachians, with multiple rounds of rain expected to cause flood hazards through early Friday.

Utility crews from multiple states continue working to restore power, and officials have cautioned that full restoration could take days in the hardest-hit areas.

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