Reports of two roof collapses in two separate buildings and a fire at a church in the west
suburbs Saturday night. The emergencies occurred in the vicinity of the intersection of North Avenue (Route 64) and Schmale Road (which becomes Main Street further south in Wheaton).
The first roof collapse was reported at about 10 p.m. at the 600 block of Willow Wood Drive with injuries and at least three people trapped in an apartment complex known as the Covered Bridge Apartments. An (EMS Box) Emergency Medical Service Alarm was raised to the third level for this address. A third alarm could mean about 16 ambulances have responded to the scene and are providing station coverage for Carol Stream [MAP/SAT].
Another alarm occurred just after 10 p.m. for a roof collapse
at 200 West North Avenue in Glendale Heights, reported to be a one-story
manufacturing building known as the Springs Systems Corporation.
There is a also a report of structural damage to a building in the 200
block of Meadow Lane in Carol Stream [MAP/SAT] — again part of the Covered Bridge Apartment complex.
Also in the vicinity, Carol Stream Fire Department and mutual aid fire departments are fighting a working structure fire at the 600 block of East North Avenue at the Wheaton Christian Center [MAP/SAT]. Damage to the Wheaton Christian Center included a demolished wall and a ruptured natural gas pipe.
Chicago area weather radar from 9:39 p.m. until 10:05 p.m. on March 31, 2007 shows apex of ‘bow echo’ in Carol Stream, Illinois area between 9:49 p.m. and 9:55 p.m. Notice the red bow embedded in the yellow (weatherunderground.com).
NEXRAD weather radar showed a ‘bow echo’ in the Carol Stream area between 9:55 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. (at the time of these alarms — awaiting a weather summary to show whether lightning, high winds, a microburst or tornado may have caused these incidents that tore off roofs). According to the University of Illinois Weather Site WW2010, macroburst and microburst winds are common with storms showing a ‘bow echo’ signature on radar (see Bow Echoes on Radar and More About Bow Echos).
At least two buildings have been evacuated and the American Red Cross has been
notified for assistance for evacuated residents. Over 100 people are expected to be displaced by damage to these buildings.
Many other buildings in the immediate area also had roof damage.
Fire Departments from Addison, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, Itasca, Lombard, Roselle, Schaumburg, West Chicago, Wheaton and Winfield assisted Carol Stream with either ambulances or fire equipment.
Minor storm damage was reported in the northwest suburbs with a large tree blocking Roselle Road between Palatine and Dundee Road in Palatine, a tree down on a car on Quentin Road just north of Palatine Road in Palatine, and numerous small branches down in Arlington Heights. Power outages also occurred in the northwest suburbs.
UPDATE: A WGN Weather Blog entry on April 1st is claiming a microburst of 100 m.p,h. intermixed with a low-level jet of 60 m.p.h. The microburst pushed ahead in the storm over Carol Stream — that storm was moving northeast at 40 m.p.h.
UPDATE 2: Andy Martello got spot news coverage since he was at home in one of the damaged apartments and pulled out his video camera right after the storm. He’s got a sense of humor about it (he’s a stand-up comedian). Warning: language under stress.
Storm damage spot video immediately after Carol Stream microburst hit from AndyMartelloComedy (YouTube).
— mb
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