Midwest Severe Storms: At Least 1 Dead, 16 Injured; Lollapalooza Music Festival Briefly Evacuated

Carolyn Williams
Published: August 3,2015

Severe thunderstorms rocked the Chicago area Sunday, killing at least one person when a tent collapsed at a festival. At least 16 people were injured in storm-related incidents, and there were six reports of tornadoes spawned across the region.
The storms left plenty of damage behind and knocked out power to more than 230,000 customers at the height of the event. Michigan was the hardest-hit in terms of power outages, with more than 200,000 homes and businesses in the dark late Sunday night.
(MORE: Latest Severe Weather Updates, Forecast)

Storms Turn Deadly in Chicagoland

One person died and 15 others were transported to local hospitals after strong winds toppled a tent at the Wood Dale Prairie Fest in Wood Dale, Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reported. Among those hurt, at least three were seriously injured, the report added.
In a statement released Sunday, Wood Dale Mayor Nunzio Pulice said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deceased and we are also praying for all those who were injured or affected by this tragedy."

The festival was canceled in the wake of the tragedy, according to Wood Dale police.
A thunderstorm developed in north-central Illinois Sunday afternoon and tracked eastward toward the Chicago area just before 3 p.m. CDT. A wind gust of 52 mph was measured at Chicago's O'Hare airport and hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported with this cell.
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Lollapalooza Evacuated Sunday Afternoon

The famous Lollapalooza festival was briefly evacuated around 3 p.m. as the storm rolled over Chicago. Concertgoers retreated from Grant Park to three pre-established shelters.

The festival's gates reopened at 3:30 p.m., and music resumed at 4 p.m.
A dome at the Ballpark at Rosemont in Rosemont, Illinois, collapsed while a Chicago Bandits softball game was delayed due to severe weather. No injuries were reported, and the game was canceled.

A man was injured when the storm caused a tree to fall on him near the boundary between the city of Chicago and the village of Lincolnwood, Illinois. Multiple trees in the area were downed by strong thunderstorm winds.
Later, a separate supercell thunderstorm prompted a tornado warning just north of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois. A funnel cloud was sighted at Route 83 and Rollins Road in suburban Round Lake Beach at 8:45 p.m. CDT while three miles north of Libertyville, a funnel was reported almost to the ground. Social media images posted from Grayslake, where siding was reportedly blown off a house, also showed a funnel cloud close to the ground.
The approaching storms prompted Lollapalooza to alter its concert schedule, putting some performers on stage two hours earlier than planned, according to its Twitter feed. The festival ended and attendees were on their way out before the storms reached downtown Chicago.

Damaging Storms Strike Other Midwest States

Thunderstorms also broke out across other areas of the Midwest throughout the day.
Tennis ball-sized hail was reported in Perham, Minnesota, and Hayward, Wisconsin, on Sunday morning. There were numerous reports of golf ball-sized hail across the area as well. Hail reached the size of softballs in parts of Ogemaw County in northern Lower Michigan, the National Weather Service in Gaylord said.
In Michigan, a tornado struck the village of Owendale around 6:40 p.m. EDT, according to the National Weather Service office near Detroit. Several buildings, including a school, were damaged. The NWS confirmed the tornado was an EF1 with winds as high as 90 mph.
Wind gusts exceeding 60 mph were reported in several Michigan communities. Tree and power line damage affected many counties across the state's Lower Peninsula.
In Iowa, thunderstorm winds toppled a semi truck in the parking lot of a large retail store in West Des Moines early Sunday evening. To the west, a tornado was reported in rural Adams County near Cromwell. That tornado was confirmed to be EF1 strength, with estimated maximum wind speeds to 100 mph, after a damage survey team studied the area.
A landspout tornado was also spotted near Lake Maloney south of North Platte, Nebraska, on Sunday afternoon.
In Wisconsin, a 32-foot sailboat capsized in Lake Michigan one mile away from Sister Bay due to high winds and waves. Coast Guard responders were able to rescue all passengers aboard the boat, and no injuries were reported.
Robert Martin and senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen contributed to this report.
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