Deadly storms and tornadoes slam Midwest, leaving hundreds of thousands without power – CBS News

Deadly storms and tornadoes slam Midwest, leaving hundreds of thousands without power  CBS News

Severe weather slammed the Midwest Tuesday, spawning tornadoes and causing widespread power outages. At least two storm-related deaths were confirmed in the region. A 4-year-old boy was killed in Jennings County, Indiana, when a tree fell on his family's mobile home on Tuesday afternoon, according to local authorities. In Ohio, Gov. Mike Dewine said a person died during an emergency in Roseville, after crews were unable to reach them. The storm system there dumped up to 8 inches of rain in the area. Just south of Cleveland, 16 people were hospitalized after lightning struck a state prison. More than 220,000 customers in Ohio were still without power early Wednesday, while another 450,000 remained in the dark across Indiana and Illinois, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.

Outages were also reported across West Virginia and Kentucky. The National Weather Service confirmed that at least three tornadoes touched down in Chicago's south suburbs during the midday hours Tuesday. Photos from the Chicago area posted on social media showed flooded roads, trees tangled in power lines and homes with gashes in their roofs.All flights were temporarily stopped at Chicago's two major airports, and officials warned of delays as the backlog was cleared. Amid the storms, a home exploded in Portage, Indiana — erupting into flames after it was hit by wind gusts up to