Storms leave damage across northern Indiana

Severe storms left a trail of damage across northern Indiana on Monday.

The National Weather Service says a 98 mph wind gust was recorded at Fort Wayne International Airport, the strongest wind the airport has ever recorded. Storm damage and downed trees were reported in Fort Wayne, where winds ripped siding and insulation from an aircraft maintenance hangar southwest of the airport’s terminal and runways, WANE-TV reported.

In northwestern Indiana, the weather service reports storm damage in Ogden Dunes and says ping-pong ball sized hail pummeled the Lake County town of New Chicago.

Numerous reports of wind damage were reported along the storm’s path to the west, with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport recording an 84 mph wind gust, the weather service said. Crews planned to assess the storm damage Tuesday to determine if any tornadoes touched down. Tens of thousands were without power.

The storms came as high temperatures and humidity settle in over states stretching through parts of the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and east to the Carolinas. More than 100 million people were facing combination of heat advisories, excessive heat warnings and excessive heat watches through Wednesday following record weekend temperatures in parts of the West and the Southwest.