Derecho Kills at Least 3, Cuts Power to Over a Million Across Midwest

A derecho packing wind gusts up to 99 mph ripped across the Midwest on Tuesday, killing at least three people and cutting power to more than a million homes and businesses in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.

In Geneva Township, Indiana, a 4-year-old boy died around 3:30 p.m. when a tree fell on his bedroom during the storm, according to the Jennings County Sheriff's Office. Jennings County Chief Sheriff's Deputy Cody Low said wind and the storms moving through the county were the likely cause.

In Portage, Indiana, about 30 miles southeast of Chicago, a house exploded and caught fire around 12:20 p.m., killing at least one person, city officials told CBS News Chicago. Fallen trees blocking roads delayed firefighters trying to reach the scene. Police Chief Mike Candiano said "it seemed that every road had a tree down," forcing some officers to park a mile away and run to the site. Police Capt. Rob Maynard, who said he's lived in Portage for 50 years, called it "probably the most severe weather event that any of us here can remember."

In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said a person died in Roseville after suffering a medical emergency that first responders couldn't reach in time because the town was "completely surrounded by water," according to CNN. DeWine declared a state of emergency in Perry and Muskingum counties and activated a National Guard high-water rescue unit, warning he expects to expand the declaration as flooding continues. "We are in a very dangerous weather situation that really involves all of Ohio," DeWine said. "It is unusual to see this, but danger can be anywhere in the state."

Ohio Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Sima Merick told CNN that roughly 200 people in Perry County had to leave or couldn't reach their homes after floodwaters rose 6 to 10 feet in low-lying areas, overtopping two bridges. Multiple roads were closed, according to Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Chas Cosgrave.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said the system that swept from Iowa into Indiana over several hours met the criteria for a derecho, a straight-line wind event stretching at least 250 miles and 60 miles wide, according to the Associated Press. Forecasters recorded a 99 mph gust in Gary, Indiana, with widespread reports of 80 mph or higher gusts on personal weather stations.

Two tornadoes touched down just south of Chicago, in southern Cook County and eastern Will County, both causing damage consistent with EF1 tornadoes. CNN reported additional tornadoes were observed in Illinois and Iowa, with survey teams expected to confirm more once conditions allow.

Chicago's two major airports briefly halted all flights as the storm moved through. FlightAware data cited by CBS News showed 45% of flights at O'Hare International Airport were delayed Tuesday and 10% were canceled.

At Grafton Reintegration Center southwest of Cleveland, 16 inmates were hospitalized after lightning struck as they returned from an evening meal, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokesperson JoEllen Smith said. One person was airlifted by medical helicopter. Their conditions weren't immediately released.

Power-outage tracker PowerOutage.us showed the toll climbing through the day, from roughly 500,000 customers in the Chicago area and northwest Indiana by early afternoon, per the Associated Press, to over 880,000 nationally by mid-afternoon, according to Newsweek, and past 991,000 by Tuesday evening, per CBS News. NBC News later put the total above 1 million, with Ohio and Indiana hit hardest. Utility provider AEP said it had deployed more than 2,000 workers, including crews from other states, to restore power in the Columbus, Ohio area, where gusts topped 80 mph and toppled trees onto lines.

National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Baker told CBS News the region sits on the outer edge of a "ring of fire," a pattern where a large zone of high pressure drives repeated waves of moisture and storms along its perimeter. AccuWeather meteorologist Adam Douty said in comments reported by Newsweek that while the following systems this week may not reach full derecho intensity, "there can be significant damage in some communities where the storms intensify."

CNN reported that some National Weather Service offices, including in Jackson, Kentucky, experienced communications issues that hindered timely distribution of warnings during the event. CNN said it had reached out to the agency for more detail. No response had been reported as of Tuesday evening.

Forecasters at the NWS Weather Prediction Center have flagged an elevated flash-flood risk from Chicago to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., through the week, with the most serious threat concentrated in the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians, where rainfall rates could dump more than a month's worth of rain in a matter of hours. DeWine's office said additional Ohio counties are likely to be added to the emergency declaration as the storm threat continues playing out over the coming days.