Two separate weather systems combined to bring strong storms to more than a dozen states in the last two days of April. Dry, gusty winds and very low humidity in the Southwest continued to produce wildfires in New Mexico and Colorado. On April 30, the severe storm threat extended from west central Texas up into the Great Lakes area, including Chicago and Indianapolis.

Dozens of structures were destroyed late Friday April 29^th as an EF-3 tornado ripped through the Wichita, KS area. As many as 950 structures and homes in the path of the tornado sustained damage, the extent of which is still being assessed.

As the system moved northeast, rapidly developing severe thunderstorms triggered tornado warnings across western and central Illinois. Rotation was detected in a few storm cells but no tornadoes touched down, although straight-line winds collapsed a building in Rockford, IL. In the late afternoon of April 30, two powerful lines of storms moved into the Chicago area, bringing further tornado warnings.

In the Chicago area, wind gusts of up to 80mph were reported, toppling trees and damaging homes in several communities. Three EF-0 tornadoes touched down in the area, two in Boone County and one in Oak Brook, just west of the City, damaging a golf course structure. Straight line wind damage and localized hail damage were reported throughout the storm area in northern Illinois.

On May 1, the same system dumped 3 to 4 inches of rain on Abilene, TX in a 3-4 hour period, producing 80mph winds and hailstones exceeding 2.5 inches in diameter. Hail damage was still being assessed by local authorities on Monday.

To assure that you and your family remain in comfort regardless of the catastrophe, you should consider adding a standalone generator to your home or business. APElectric has a wide assortment of generators from some of the most popular generator manufacturers in the country. Visit the company’s website to review their stock and learn how to choose the right generator for your particular situation.