Power outages hit 850,000 across US as tornadoes sweep Midwest

More than 600,000 customers in Illinois and Indiana were left without electricity after powerful thunderstorms and tornadoes swept across the region. Farther east, at least 250,000 people in Ohio were also affected by power outages.

Severe storms hit the area on August 11. Two tornadoes were recorded in Chicago and its surrounding areas, while roads were flooded and homes were damaged. Wind gusts in Gary, Indiana, reached 159 kilometres per hour, Caliber.Az reports via the Associated Press (AP).

In Ohio, lightning struck a prison complex, sending 16 inmates to hospital. One of them was airlifted to a hospital. A death was also reported in the region, as rescue crews were unable to reach the person in time because of flooded roads.

According to a preliminary assessment by the US National Weather Service, the storm system could be classified as a “derecho” — a large-scale weather phenomenon characterised by prolonged, destructive straight-line winds.

By Jeyhun Aghazada