Severe weather moved through Orland Park Tuesday, damaging the roof of Midwest Animal Hospital near 191st Street and Wolf Road and forcing more than 40 dogs and staff members to take shelter.
The National Weather Service later confirmed that an EF-1 tornado hit Orland Park and left a path of destruction eastward to Munster. It was the second twister to hit the village in two weeks. It was one of three confirmed EF-1 tornadoes spawned by Tuesday morning’s storm. One was reported in the Mokena area and a third one in the Monee area.
The storm arrived while the animal hospital’s doggy day care was operating. More than 40 dogs were outside when the weather intensified and a tornado warning was issued for the area.
Kennel staff quickly moved the dogs inside and into a safe area as phone alerts and outdoor warning sirens sounded.
The storm caused portions of the hospital’s roof and insulation to break loose and blow into the outdoor area. Staff members then discovered water entering the doggy day care room as a result of the roof damage.
The room eventually accumulated an estimated 1 to 2 feet of water before it was drained.
Staff and the animals remained sheltered for about 30 minutes as the storm continued to move through the area.
No people or animals were injured.
Mayor Jim Dodge said about 1,300 ComEd customers were without power as of Tuesday night.
The storm was part of a broader round of severe weather that moved through the Chicago area Tuesday, with reports of damage in several communities.
The doggy day care at Midwest Animal Hospital is expected to remain closed through the rest of the week while the facility addresses the storm damage.
As with the storm that ravaged the south and southwest suburbs on July 27, trees were uprooted, branches were knocked down, roads were blocked by debris, power outages were prevalent, traffic lights were not working, house roofs were damaged and at least three house fires were started by downed power lines.
The forecast also calls for more storms to arrive Thursday and last through the weekend.
The weather service said there have been more than 60 tornadoes this summer in the Chicago area.