6 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:57 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
High winds and possible gustnadoes in southern and central Cook County downed many tree limbs, some trees and powerlines. Specific wind gusts reported: Meigs field 63 mph, NBC Tower in downtown Chicago 61 mph, 3SW Midway 61 mph, and Midway airport 62 mph.
Intense downbursts or possibly a brief gustnado blew down large tree limbs and trees, damaging homes and cars. Strong winds caused some roof damage. At the Brookfield Zoo, trees were damaged and a tram overturned.
Strong winds caused roof and tree damage to homes or businesses in Orland Park, Country Club HIlls and Tinley Park. A wind gust of 65 mph was reported at Orland Park. A 58 mph wind gust was recorded at the Lansing, IL AWOS. A very intense downburst or possibly a gustnado produced F0-F1 intensity damage for about a 2 mile long and 50 yard wide path through Lynwood, from Stoney Island Road to Burnham Road, parallel to and about 1/2 mile north of Glenwood-Dyer Road. Several businesses had roof damage west of Lynwood. In a subdivision in Lynwood about 30 homes sustained some damage. Mostly shingles removed, antennas down, windows broken, tree limbs down, gutters and awnings damages. Two houses at Lakewood and 201st had about half the roof torn of, a church had roof damage and a bell tower damaged. About half dozen other houses had small sections of the roof peeled off.
On the south side of Chicago, roof and tree damage at 6800 S. California, 8700 Kostner, 7900 South Harlem, 6300 S. Cicero and 5600 Kolmar. A wind gust of 60 mph was reported at Calumet City around 815pm.
Strong winds caused roof and tree damage at businesses or homes in New Lenox and Mokena. In Beecher, near the Indiana state line, a barn was destroyed.
A wind gust to 70 mph and hail of 1.75 inches in diameter were reported in North Utica.
Strong winds downed trees.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, May 1997
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5599570, 5599571, 5599573, 5599572, 5597952, 5597953, 5597954, 5597955.