Storms early Tuesday down trees, power lines in McHenry County, shut down roads

Downed power lines and trees across McHenry County were reported after an early morning thunderstorm Tuesday, officials report.

Crystal Lake Road between Route 120 and Main Street in McHenry closed for several hours Tuesday due to a downed power line, according to an alert issued at about 1 p.m. Tuesday by the McHenry Police Department.

Thayer Road in Harvard was also shut down for a time Tuesday morning because of downed wires and poles, while Keystone Road in Richmond too was closed for about two hours in the early morning hours for multiple downed trees, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

Dozens of reported down trees were concentrated in one neighborhood in Crystal Lake, McHenry County Emergency Management Director David Christensen said. No structural damage was reported but about 10 homes sustained damage to gutters and other exterior structures, he said.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 3 a.m. Tuesday for McHenry and Kane counties. A severe thunderstorm located near Marengo moved southeast at 45 mph with hazardous 60 mph. wind gusts and quarter size hail.

The rest of the week is expected to remain clear with much cooler temperatures than the area has experienced in recent days, with overnight lows dipping into the 50s.