High Winds Damage Structures Across Chicago Area

Roofs blown off school and apartment building, trees downed in widespread storm impact

Mar. 14, 2026 at 12:03am

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High winds downed trees and damaged structures across the Chicago area on Friday, including blowing the roofs off a school and an apartment building in the suburbs. Gusts reached over 60 mph, causing widespread power outages and disrupting air travel at O'Hare airport.

Why it matters

The severe weather event highlights the increasing frequency and intensity of storms impacting urban areas, raising concerns about infrastructure resilience and the need for preparedness measures to protect public safety and minimize disruptions.

The details

The high winds knocked down thick tree branches and full trees across the region, blocking roads and damaging homes. Power outages affected over 23,000 ComEd customers at the peak, with the utility working to quickly restore service. The roof of the Charles H. Walsh Academy school was partially blown off, and an apartment building in Elmhurst also lost part of its roof, scattering debris. The storm also caused an "equipment outage" at O'Hare airport, leading to hundreds of delayed flights.

  • High wind warnings were in effect from late Thursday night until 4 p.m. on Friday.
  • Gusts reached over 60 mph by 5 a.m. on Friday, continuing throughout the morning.
  • As of 8:30 a.m., over 23,000 ComEd customers were without power, though the utility had restored service to over 55,000 customers by that time.

The players

ComEd

The electric utility company serving the Chicago area, which worked to restore power to over 55,000 customers impacted by the high winds.

Charles H. Walsh Academy

A school in Niles, Illinois where a large portion of the roof was blown off by the strong winds, with no injuries reported.

O'Hare Airport

Chicago's major international airport, which experienced an "equipment outage" due to the high winds, leading to hundreds of delayed flights.

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What they’re saying

“My wife heard a crash, didn't hear a crackling, just kind of a boom. We came to see our tree, probably over 100 years old, laying in the street.”

— Mike Diedrich, Homeowner (NBC Chicago)

“The men and women of ComEd worked around the clock to, essentially, rebuild the grid in the highest impacted areas in two days following an EF3 tornado this week so customers were returned to service. We will bring that same intensity to quickly and safely restore any impacted customers this weekend.”

— David Perez, Executive Vice President and COO of ComEd (NBC Chicago)

“It's not supposed to happen, even with winds of this caliber, it's not supposed to happen.”

— Dan Wilk, Roofing Source (NBC Chicago)

What’s next

ComEd crews will continue working to restore power to any remaining customers impacted by the high winds, while officials assess the damage to the Charles H. Walsh Academy and determine when the school can reopen.

The takeaway

This severe weather event underscores the need for cities and communities to invest in infrastructure upgrades and emergency preparedness measures to better withstand the increasing frequency and intensity of storms driven by climate change.