Red Flag Warning Issued; Power Outages Reported Throughout Chicago Area

A wind advisory will be in effect from 9 a.m. Wednesday morning through 6 p.m. this evening for much of the Chicago area. Also, a red flag warning, which warns residents over the risk of rapid fire growth possible today, has been issued through 5 p.m.

The wind advisory and red flag warning have been issued for McHenry, Lake, Kane, DeKalb, DuPage, Cook, Kendall and Will counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Wind gusts between 25 to 35 mph are expected, and gusts as high as 45 to 55 mph are possible, weather officials said. Wind gusts this strong can also make driving difficult, and loose objects will blow around, according to the National Weather Service. Minor damage to trees is also possible.

A combination of low relative humidity, which could be as low as 20 percent, warm temperatures and strong wind gusts prompted the red flag warning. Rapid fire growth could occur if fires start today, weather officials said.

"Fires can spread quickly and rapidly grow out of control in these conditions," according to the National Weather Service.

Weather officials are reminding area residents to be alert during the wind advisory and secure or bring any lightweight objects indoors.

Power Outages

Power outages are being reported throughout the Chicago area as of noon on Wednesday.

Comed's Power Outage map showed thousands of residents without power as far north as Antioch in Lake County to as far south as Joliet. On Chicago's near west side, nearly 500 customers reported power outages just before noon on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Northlake area had more than 1,000 people without power, and in Crystal Lake, nearly 550 were in the dark.

It's unclear at this point if the high winds contributed to many of these power outages, but ComEd officials this morning warned residents that forecast wind gusts could lead to outages throughout the day.

Are you currently without power? Has the wind taken out a tree or tree branches in your neighborhood? Let us and other readers know by leaving a note in the comments section.

Photo via the National Weather Service