The week’s third wave of organized severe weather blasted areas northwest of Chicago Friday with thundery rains peppered by literally thousands of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes while bombarding areas in Boone and Winnebago counties with cascades of 1” diameter hail. The blinding downpours resulted as thunderstorms erupted repeatedly over four hours across a multicounty area of north-central Illinois. Deluges began around 2 p.m. near Rockford and continued nearly non-stop through 6 p.m. Two inches of rain hit the area around Illinois Highway 251 and the U.S. 20 bypass, while nearby Pecatonica recorded 1.15” of rain in just 15 minutes. But the heaviest rain appears to have hit near Belvidere where at least one unofficial report indicated 5.50” had fallen. A roof was blown off a house and a semi was overturned in Boone County; widespread flooding was reported there as well. High winds also downed trees and power lines in Genoa.
--By Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and the WGN Weather Center staff provide daily coverage of weather in the Chicago area.
