Thunderstorms that hit Thursday night left their mark in McHenry County, with downed electrical wires, tree damage, flooding and a collapsed home reported.
Wind gusts in the 50- to 60-mph range were reported near Marengo, the National Weather Service reported.
Those strong gusts downed trees and electrical wires near Route 120 by Wonder Lake, causing sections to be closed down, Wonder Lake Fire Chief Matt Yegge said. Portions of Bull Valley Road were also closed as a result of reported roadway obstructions.
The most significant damage was reported in McHenry, when a portion of a house collapsed, which officials believe the storm contributed to.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded to a call at approximately 9 p.m. Thursday to West South Street for a reported residential structural collapse. First responders arrived within four minutes to “a collapsed foundation in the rear” of a single-family home, according to a McHenry Township Fire Protection District news release.
All occupants – a family of five that included two young children – were able to escape safely. Crews searched the home to confirm no other occupants or pets were inside.
The home was deemed uninhabitable and unstable. A fence around the home was secured to prevent entry into the collapsed area, according to the release.
The American Red Cross is assisting the family with temporary shelter.
Nicor, ComEd and the McHenry Building Department were requested to the scene to isolate utilities and prevent additional damage, officials said in the release. The Building Department was investigating the damage.
Thursday night’s string of severe storms appeared to be “contributing factors to the structural failure,” according to the release.
A tornado warning was issued for the northeastern portion of the county Thursday night. A flood advisory was also issued for the county.
Marengo police posted on Facebook Thursday evening that a funnel cloud was reported heading toward town, but had moved on to the north and east toward Union and Woodstock.
The county got 1.5 to 3 inches of rain Thursday, NWS Meteorologist Lee Carlaw said. Streets in the southeast corner of the county were flooded, McHenry County Emergency Management Agency Executive Director David Christensen said.
Other flooded areas were seen in the Woodstock area, where heavy winds uprooted a large tree that fell against a home.
Widespread, temporary power outages were reported by ComEd, with about 1,200 customers affected Thursday night.
A collapsed street was reported near Venice and Court streets in McHenry, but it apparently was not weather-related. Rather that was caused by a car that drove through a closed-road construction zone, according to the McHenry Township Fire Protection District.
More storms with lightning strikes, damaging winds, some tornado and hail risk and “soaking downpours” are anticipated to hit again Friday afternoon into Saturday morning through the Northern Illinois area, the NWS reports.
Low storm severity levels are expected, Carlaw said. Locally heavy rain is possible, but there is no widespread risk of flash flooding.