The wild, windy Chicago weather which began Wednesday and caused a large section of the city's lakefront path to close continued into Thursday.
The winds on Wednesday evening gusted over 40 mph and caused a myriad of damage around the city, as ABC Chicago reports. Over a dozen boats went loose when a dock was broken by waves up to 25 feet tall. Elsewhere in the city, light poles were snapped, one of which fell on top of a car at Wilton and Grace.
The weather also caused a number of flight delays -- some of 90 minutes or more -- at O'Hare International Airport, while 175 flights were cancelled altogether, according to ABC.
The winds also left 3,100 ComEd customers, 2,200 in Chicago, without power on Thursday morning. Glass from a high-rise building's blown-out window near Wabash and Chicago fell onto the street below. The weather even knocked over a large Morton Salt billboard near the Kennedy Expressway and contributed to some lakefront flooding.
Gary Schenkel, OEMC executive director, implored to NBC that Thursday's weather "can cause serious injury if not taken seriously and the recommended precautions are ignored" and advised lakefront runners, bicyclists and others looking to catch a glimpse of the impressive waves to stay a safe distance away from the edge of Lake Michigan. OEMC had similar advice on Wednesday.
A high wind warning in Chicago remains in effect until 10 a.m., while a lakeshore flood warning is in effect until 4 p.m., Fox Chicago reports. Waves early on Thursday will still reach 18 to 20 feet high, but are expected to shrink slightly to 12 to 15 feet later in the morning. Heavy rainfall is still possible.
The brutal weather recalls a similar storm last month which elicited winds and waves so strong that they knocked down runners and cyclists along the lakefront path. That storm also knocked out power for more than 27,000 ComEd customers.
Air travelers have been encouraged to contact their airlines before heading to the airport Thursday, should delays or cancelations persist.