Weather
Mississippi River crests at Davenport, testing barriers
The peak was slightly lower than forecast but still high enough to test the region's flood defenses and to keep officials on guard. Many larger cities have flood walls but Davenport relies on temporary sand-filled barriers and allows the river to flood in riverfront parks.
Tornadoes kill at least 11 across US Midwest and South
In Belvidere, Illinois, a tornado collapsed the roof of the Apollo Theatre as 260 people attended a heavy metal concert, killing one person and injuring 28, five of them severely, officials said.
Flights canceled, highways closed as winter storm wallops US
More than 192,000 customers in Michigan and nearly 89,000 in Illinois were without electricity Wednesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us.
Massive winter storm brings rolling blackouts, power outages
More than 200 million people were under an advisory or warning on Friday, the National Weather Service said. The weather service's map “depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” forecasters said.
US braces for dangerous blast of cold, wind and snow
Several inches of snow were expected from Chicago through the Great Lakes region by Friday. Snow also was forecast in the lower Midwest. With the storm approaching, Delta, American, United and Southwest airlines said they were waiving change fees for people traveling through affected airports.
Small tornado snaps trees, damages roofs in Naperville
The National Weather Service has confirmed that a small tornado has touched down in suburban Chicago. The tornado was part of thunderstorms that rolled through the Chicago area overnight.
Dangerous heat wave descends on parts of Midwest and South
In Chicago, the May deaths of three women when temperatures climbed into the 90s served as a fresh reminder of the dangers of such heat — particularly for people who live alone or are dealing with certain health issues.
I-39 shutdown for 2nd day after 100 vehicle crash
Miraculously, there were no reported injuries in the crashes, and authorities were able to escort all the stranded motorists to warming centers.
Hundreds of flights canceled, traffic pileups after snowfall
I-39 was closed north of Bloomington after a pileup of approximately 100 vehicles and I-74 eastbound near Champaign was completely blocked for a while after a crash involving several semitrailers, police said.
Weather and risky travel cancels legislative work
The NWS said that rain and sleet were expected Tuesday night, freezing rain and snow with as much as 7 inches by Wednesday morning. Up to 8 more inches of snow predicted on Wednesday and 5 inches on Thursday.
