COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — First responders rescued people from floodwaters Wednesday as utility crews worked to clear trees and power lines following severe storms that brought tornadoes, heavy rain and flash flooding across parts of the Midwest.
The storms have been blamed for at least three deaths.
A 4-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a home in Geneva, Indiana, during Tuesday’s storms, according to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office.
In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said a Roseville resident died during a medical emergency after first responders were unable to reach the person because of flooded roads.
Officials in Portage, Indiana, were investigating whether severe weather contributed to a house explosion that killed one person.
Lightning struck a prison complex southwest of Cleveland on Tuesday, injuring 16 incarcerated people who were hospitalized, according to the Ohio Department of Corrections. DeWine said Wednesday that four remained hospitalized, including one with severe injuries.
Authorities in Ohio and western Pennsylvania reported numerous water rescues. DeWine deployed 40 Ohio Army National Guard members to assist in two counties east of Columbus.
In Athens County, Ohio, nearly 300 people called 911 for help Tuesday, including 42 calls involving vehicles stuck in floodwaters, according to emergency management director Teresa Fouts-Imler. Additional calls came Wednesday as floodwaters moved toward the Ohio River.
In Crooksville, Ohio, floodwaters entered Kaitlyn Rodgers’ home early Tuesday, trapping her, her husband and their four children inside. Firefighters rescued the family by boat before dawn after the water rose to knee level.
Storm damage was reported from the Chicago area to western Pennsylvania. The National Weather Service said the threat of severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall would continue across parts of the Midwest, Ohio Valley and central Appalachians over the next several days.
Nearly 700,000 customers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia were without power around midday Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us.
In Columbus, Ohio, Mayor Andrew Ginther declared an emergency Wednesday as crews continued responding to widespread power outages and storm damage.
The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes in counties south of Chicago.
Tornado sirens sounded across the Chicago area Tuesday as severe storms moved through. Flights were temporarily halted at Chicago’s two major airports, and officials warned travelers of delays as airlines worked through the backlog.
Heavy rain and strong winds also damaged homes and flooded roads and neighborhoods in parts of Illinois and Indiana.
A wind gust of 99 mph was recorded in Gary, Indiana, according to forecasters. Other locations reported wind gusts of 80 mph or higher.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said preliminary information indicated the storm system that moved from Iowa into Indiana qualified as a derecho. Derechos are long-lasting windstorms associated with widespread straight-line winds, heavy rain and significant damage.
Dayton, Ohio, recorded 2.07 inches of rain Tuesday, breaking a daily rainfall record set in 1915, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters said additional rounds of rain could create flooding concerns in the Ohio Valley through early Friday.
