Violent tornadoes ripped across the Midwest Friday, triggering urgent severe weather warnings for millions as one twister near Milwaukee forced the evacuation of an air traffic control tower at the city’s busiest airport while another saw a ground stop be issued at a Chicago airport.
The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornadoes among more than 20 reports across Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Oklahoma, with sightings stretching from the outskirts of Green Bay to Ponca City.
Residents in areas under urgent tornado warnings were told to take immediate cover as authorities warned that mobile homes could be destroyed by wind and hail up to the size of golf balls, with homes, businesses, vehicles and trees all facing the threat of 'complete destruction.’
Storms are expected to keep developing into Saturday morning along a broad swath from Wisconsin to Texas, according to weather forecasts.
Travel plans have already been plunged into chaos as the 200-foot-tall air traffic control tower at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport was evacuated over the ongoing twister warnings.
Meanwhile, a ground stop was issued for planes arriving into Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 8:16pm before being lifted at 10:45pm following an hour-long extension.
More than 50 million people live in this stretch of the country, which is now being lashed with hurricane-level winds and thunderstorms, according to Fox Weather.Â
One of the most battered areas in the central US was Lena, Illinois, a village of just under 3,000 people.
The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that at around 3:40pm CDT, a tornado moved through Lena, causing 'extensive damage’ to homes, businesses and infrastructure. No fatalities or injuries have been reported.
