Sunday Storms Leave Damage, Mess In Parts Of Chicago Area
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (CBS) -- Storms early Sunday left a lasting effect across the viewing area – with power outages, property damage, and some scary moments all part of the lingering weather effect.
As CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reported, many in Bolingbrook described a wake-up call from Mother Nature around 7 a.m. – composed of loud blasts of thunder and lightning.
Fifteen hours later, many had cleaned up. But some were still in the process. Ross came across home was left with roof and other property damage – and they were not alone.
Heavy equipment had to be called into Bolingbrook, and damage and debris had to be shipped out by the truckload.
The force of the winds and rain caught Rudy Ramirez's attention.
"You hear the water just falling, falling," he said.
"It was kind of like a hail storm coming," another man said.
Branches and trees were no match for the gusts that blew through Ramirez's neighborhood. But the activity in his backyard shook him and his family.
Ramirez described a lightning strike that severed a tree and cut off nearby power lines.
"It felt like a very tiny earthquake – loud enough for me to feel it. It felt a firecracker right next to your ear – boom!" Ramirez said. "It was really bright, and all you saw was a cloud of white smoke."
"It's kind of like a boom; kind of just saw the spark from when the wire fell down; like a thunder sort of," the other man said.
In Itasca, another lightning strike was blamed for a fire that required an evacuation at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa. The 12th floor of the hotel caught fire and the chimney was destroyed.
Guests at the hotel at the time included golfers and spectators for the BMW Championship at the Medinah Country Club - including star golfer Phil Mickelson.
"Yeah, it was kind of a funny deal," Mickelson said. "The building got struck by lightning right above me and blew out a brick chimney and I guess caught fire a little bit. There were 10 fire trucks, so I got in my car and left and couldn't get back. The roads were closed and the hotel was closed, but things cleared up pretty quickly and I was able to get back in and get my stuff and come out and play."
"There were people outside, it's raining and there was no place to go," added Mickelson. "So I got in my car and left and then the roads were closed and I couldn't get back in, but it cleared up pretty quick."
Meanwhile, back in Bolingbrook, Damien Lecuhga was in the process of fixing up his home. That was until Mother Nature decided to make some design changes.
"It's a brand new roof - well it used to (be)," Lechuga said. "I guess I got to repair that end right there."
While Lechuga's sense of humor needs no rehabilitation, the same cannot be said of parts of his home. A tree fell right on it, and he estimates the damage at about $5,000.
"I mean, I wasn't the only one affected in the area," he said. "There was other people that had it worse."
Com Ed reported more than 60,000 customers affected by the storm. It is expected that most will have their power restored by Sunday evening.
Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries associated with storm damage.