A dangerous severe weather outbreak is unfolding across the Heartland, and the Village of Lena, Illinois, was shut down Friday as storms damaged the area and officials warned there would be no traffic in or out until further notice.
Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall said the village is assessing storm damage while remaining under a severe thunderstorm warning, and the sheriff's office said there is no way to get into Lena because of trees and wires down. The office urged people to stay away, saying, “Please avoid the town of Lena!”
The shutdown came after an earlier tornado damaged Lena on Friday, leaving officials to deal with a fresh round of weather storms tornadoes as severe thunderstorm warnings for the village and surrounding areas were set to continue until 6:45 PM CDT. The threat was not limited to northern Illinois: supercells were expected to produce intense tornadoes and destructive, softball-sized hail across the region.
The broader storm system was already exacting a toll. Thousands of power outages were reported across the Plains and the Midwest, while thunderstorms were disrupting flights at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The FAA said a ground delay would remain in effect there until early Saturday morning, and arrivals were delayed by more than 3 hours on average.
Farther south, a flash flood warning was in effect for Kansas City, Missouri, where the National Weather Service received reports of stalled cars sitting in standing water on Interstate 70. Wind gusts as high as 70 mph were also reported, underscoring how quickly the outbreak was spreading across the Heartland.
For Lena, the immediate question is access, not recovery: until trees and downed wires are cleared, the village remains cut off and shut down, and officials are telling residents and travelers alike to stay away until the danger passes.
