STORM SOCKS CHICAGO

Severe storms with 70 mph wind gusts pushed through the Chicago area about 4 p.m. on Monday, leaving widespread damage and hundreds of thousands without power across northern Illinois.

Nearly a half-million ComEd customers were affected by power outages Monday afternoon, according to the company. About 180,000 of them were in Cook County.

A gust of 72 mph was recorded at Midway Airport shortly before 4 p.m., the National Weather Service said. O’Hare recorded a gust of 62 mph.

Reports of damage were most heavily reported on the Northwest Side, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Blue Line trains were halted near O’Hare about 5 p.m. while crews worked to clear debris from the tracks.

Firefighters responded to several fires caused by fallen power lines. One fire in the 1800 block of South Canalport was caused by wind damage to a building under construction. No injuries were reported.

ANDY BOYLE/SUN-TIMES A fallen tree rests on top of a car near the intersection of Byron and Paulina in the Lake View neighborhood.

TYLER LARIVIERE/SUN-TIMES PHOTOS LEFT: Residents remove a tree branch from a car and a downed power line after the severe storm moved through Chicago.

ABOVE: Vehicles try to avoid a large branch on Lake Shore Drive.

STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN/SUN-TIMES Monday’s storm uprooted a tree in the 2200 block of West Berteau Avenue in the North Center neighborhood.