Naperville garage hit by lightning Tuesday as Naperville braces for more rounds of storms Wednesday
Lightning from storms that blew through Naperville Tuesday afternoon set a garage on the city’s north side ablaze as the city braces for more rounds of thunderstorms Wednesday.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch in effect throughout Northern Illinois through 7 p.m. Wednesday with showers and thunderstorms are forecast throughout the day.
As of 4 p.m. Naperville received about 2 inches of rain from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday at 2 p.m., according to a rain gauge at the Fawell Dam on the West Branch of the DuPage River south of McDowell Grove Forest Preserve.
Addition thunderstorms after 5 p.m. are possible
The weather service warns that though individual storm movement may be quick, some rounds of storms could contain heavy rainfall with precipitation rates of up to 1 to 2 inches per hour.
This could result in creeks and streams overflowing their banks and flooding in areas with poor drainage and road underpasses.
The watch extends throughout northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, including DuPage and Will counties.
Naperville officials said the lightning strike fire occurred about 3:15 p.m. at a home in the 1400 block of Larsen Lane. Firefighters arrived to find flames burning through the garage roof and extending into the home’s living space above, a report said.
The homeowner, who evacuated before firefighters arrived, told department personnel the attached garage was struck by lightning.
The fire was under control within 10 minutes and cause an estimated $40,000 in damage, officials said.
No injuries were reported.
