“I’ve never seen anything like this”

• Storms and tornadoes are hitting central US states like Illinois, Indiana and Arkansas.

• The flight landed at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport.

• Social media photos show large numbers of people seeking refuge in O’Hare.

Crowds of travelers at Chicago O’Hare International Airport took refuge inside the airport’s light tunnels, with hundreds of flights canceled due to local weather. Shows social media posts.

Flights were grounded at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport as the storm hit the central United States. According to the Chicago Aviation Authority.

As of Friday night, 281 flights had been canceled at O’Hare and 129 at Midway.Both airports released statements on Friday night telling travelers: “be careful.”

Caitlin Hoch, a traveler from O’Hare to Cleveland, Ohio, told Insider that her flight was scheduled to depart at 6:37 p.m. but was canceled due to weather. While waiting, Hock said, staff asked people to evacuate into the Tunnel of Light, the tunnel that connects the airport’s United concourse.

Hundreds may have been crowding into the tunnels as they waited for the storm to subside, Hoch said. Hoch described the crowd as “very chill and relaxed” and said many people were taking pictures and videos of the scene.

“I fly to ORD almost every Friday,” Hoch told Insider. “I’ve never seen anything like this. I fly to a new state every week and I’ve never seen one at any airport.”

The CDA did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

So far, there have been more than 40 preliminary tornado reports in six states as of Friday night. National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. Hundreds of thousands of Power outages for residents.

Multiple people injured in severe storm After the roof collapsed during a concert at the Apollo Theater in Belvedere, Illinoisabout 72 miles from Chicago, According to local news station WLS.

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