Tornadoes pummel communities outside Chicago, tearing up homes and toppling power poles

At least three tornadoes battered communities outside Chicago on Thursday, leveling homes and ripping down trees and power poles, while storms grounded flights for some and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands in the Midwest and Northeast.As a large column of air descended on Merrillville, Indiana, a town about 33 miles southeast of Chicago, the city’s police warned residents to take cover.By the evening, downed trees and power lines blocked the streets, homes were torn up and part of a high school’s roof was ripped off.Meanwhile, emergency crews were in the nearby manufacturing and farm city of Streator, Illinois, as the community reeled from tornado damage.

A reunification center for displaced residents was set up in its city hall and the Red Cross opened a shelter.Streator Mayor Tara Bedei said there were no reported deaths.“We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement.Strong storms delayed or halted flights at airports in some cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York on Thursday.

Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity.The tornadoes came after severe storms swept through the Midwest Wednesday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and canceling flights.In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park Wednesday after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said in a statement.There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from the storms.Tornado warnings were also in place in Chicago and in parts of Indiana and Michigan Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

In Chicago, a series finale between the White Sox and the Atlanta Braves was postponed due to rain.Jennifer Hall was in her garage in Elkhart, Indiana, as the winds and rain picked up Thursday evening.Suddenly, she said, she heard a loud crash and discovere...