Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Severe Storms Hit Chicago, Disrupt Hundreds of US Flights
Big thunderstorms hit Chicago and the middle of America on Tuesday.
Some storms were so strong that experts warned people about tornadoes near Chicago's suburbs.
Because of the bad weather, hundreds of airplanes could not take off or land on time.
More than 900,000 homes and businesses lost their electricity.
The states of Indiana and Illinois were hurt the most by the power cuts.
Heavy rain caused flooding in some parts of Ohio.
The weather has been very hot, and July was the hottest ever recorded in the lower 48 states.
Cities like New York also had stormy weather and flood warnings near the coast.
Many people across the eastern United States have had their travel plans changed because of the storms.
Severe thunderstorms hit Chicago and the US Midwest on Tuesday, triggering tornado warnings.
Nearly 1,200 flights into or out of O'Hare International Airport were canceled or delayed, and more than 400 at JFK.
More than 900,000 homes and businesses across the US lost power, with Indiana and Illinois hardest hit.
The contiguous 48 states posted their warmest July on record in data going back to 1895.
Flood warnings stretched from Indiana into western Pennsylvania and Virginia, with up to 3 inches of rain in parts of Ohio.
- Who
- Travelers and residents across the eastern half of the US, especially in Chicago, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, with the National Weather Service issuing warnings.
- What
- Severe thunderstorms triggered tornado warnings, flooded areas, knocked out power for more than 900,000 homes and businesses, and canceled or delayed hundreds of flights.
- When
- Tuesday, with the warmest July on record for the contiguous US occurring in the weeks leading up to the storms.
- Where
- Chicago and the US Midwest, with impacts spanning Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, western Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
- Why
- Waves of thunderstorms developed amid heat waves that have produced bands of extreme weather across the eastern half of the US.
- Flights disrupted at O'Hare
- Nearly 1,200 canceled or delayed as of 1:55 p.m. New York time
- Flights disrupted at JFK
- More than 400 canceled or delayed
- Power outages
- More than 900,000 homes and businesses across the US
- Hardest-hit states for outages
- Indiana and Illinois
- Rainfall in parts of Ohio
- Up to 3 inches as of 7 a.m.
- Warmest July on record
- Contiguous 48 states, data going back to 1895
- Tornado warnings
- Near Downers Grove and Glendale Heights, issued at 10:38 a.m. local time
- New York City forecast
- 88F with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m.