CHICAGO – Air traffic was put to a halt as tornadoes and thunderstorms swept through the Chicago area on Wednesday.
The severity of the matter could be gauged from the fact that residents were advised to seek shelter as tornado sirens echoed through the third-largest US city and somewhat created panic amongst the citizens.
Data by FlightAware confirmed that over 300 flights in and out of O’Hare and another 32 in and out of Midway were canceled.
According to National Weather Service, a tornado touched down near Chicago’s O’Hare international airport and was moving east.
‘There are additional circulations along the line south of O’Hare. Seek shelter if in the warned area,’ it said.
The area was declared tornado free less than an hour later and there were no immediate reports of injuries but the storms forced authorities to ground all departures of commercial flights into O’Hare and Midway airports, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
Local media reports confirmed that trees were uprooted and car windows were blown out in La Grange area. Tree and roof damage was also reported from several other twisters, the weather service said.
Tornadoes occur due to a combination of atmospheric conditions. Warm, moist air collides with cool, dry air, leading to instability in the atmosphere. This instability, along with wind shear, creates a rotating column of air. When this rotation is intensified, it can develop into a tornado, causing destructive winds and funnel-shaped clouds. If they are severe and happen near airports, they disrupt the travel plans of many but aviation experts advise against flying when such conditions exist.
