The Chicago area came close to a serious tornado encounter last September 22—an encounter which could have proved disastrous. That's the subject of a special report we air Wednesday evening on WGN-TV's Nine O'Clock News.
The event last autumn underscores our area's vulnerability to twisters. A tornado touched down on the Loyola University Sheridan Road campus on Chicago's far north side and became the waterspout pictured here in dramatic shots provided to us by Steve Wells and Nick Dalzell, SAE fraternity brothers and Loyola students. The supercell thunderstorm which produced this waterspout actually formed well west of Chicago in Batavia, Illinois. A National Weather Service analysis shows its circulation tracked across Wheaton, I-355, the Tri-State (both during the evening rush hour) and directly over O'Hare International's terminal before producing a tornado touching down on the Loyola campus and proceeding harmlessly (though dramatically) out over the lake.
The scenario could have been much different had the touchdown occurred farther west. We explore this close call with a tornado on our report on the Nine O'Clock News tonight and talk with Chicago emergency preparedness officials on how the city has prepared for such a potential disaster and tips on what to do if a tornado threatens. We hope you'll join us.
-Tom Skilling
WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
Photo Courtesy: Steve Wells and Nick Dalzell
