In the US Midwest, two adults and a 4-year-old child were killed and more than a million people were left without power due to a series of storms known as derechos, NBC News reported. The natural disaster was accompanied by strong winds, thunderstorms and floods.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a derecho is a widespread, long-lasting storm associated with a line of fast-moving showers or thunderstorms. The damage is comparable to a tornado and usually occurs in one direction in a relatively straight line. The name of the phenomenon is connected with this – derecho in Spanish means “straight”.
“If a swath of wind damage extends more than 240 miles (400 kilometers) and wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 kph) or higher over most of its extent, the event may be classified as a derecho,” the NWS specifies.
Two fatal derecho-related incidents occurred in Indiana on Tuesday, August 11th. The first person died in a Portage home explosion believed to be caused by bad weather. Then, in the southeastern town of Geneva, police found a 4-year-old boy dead, locked in a bedroom where a tree had fallen. He died on the spot, and three other people were able to get out of the house.
🌪️🚨 SEVERE STORM SLAMS PORTAGE, INDIANA!
Powerful winds and dangerous weather tore through the area today, leaving damage in its wake. ⚠️
Residents were encouraged to take shelter as the storm moved through. 😨 #Portage #Indiana #Storm #SevereWeather #USA #Breaking #usa #america… pic.twitter.com/7l2Wpm8ktX
— pradhyumn sharma (@pradhyu78651514) August 12, 2026
Another victim lived in Roseville, Ohio. The person was unable to receive emergency assistance due to flooded roads. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency amid the disaster, and about 200 people were evacuated. In addition, 16 people were taken to hospital after being struck by lightning at Grafton Prison.
DERECHO CONFIRMED from Tuesday, August 11th. The line of storms started in Iowa and moved through northern Illinois, northern Indiana, central Indiana, western Ohio & Kentucky. Gary, IN had a peak gust of 99 mph.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, there is sufficient… pic.twitter.com/0x5RGKlQGz
— Ryan Morse (@RyanMorseWx) August 12, 2026
According to PowerOutage.us, more than a million homes and businesses in the affected states were without power. More than 135,000 subscribers lost power in Illinois, where two tornadoes were recorded, CNN notes.
🚨More than 600,000 people were left without power as severe storms and tornadoes swept across Illinois and Indiana, USA.
Two tornadoes hit Chicago, while winds in Indiana reached 159 km/h. In Ohio, lightning struck a prison, injuring 16 inmates and killing one person. The storm… pic.twitter.com/pk1ZyyoEOu
— Global Brief (@globalbrief_now) August 12, 2026
In Kentucky, weather service communication problems hampered the dissemination of disaster warnings as the local NWS office lost power. Massive power outages occurred in West Virginia and Virginia, where 14,758 and 2,423 facilities were left without power, respectively.
Pennsylvania experienced severe flooding that damaged homes, cars, highways and railroads. Local authorities also managed to rescue 10 people from a flooded house and one injured person from the roof of a car. The affected regions received a total of 6 inches (15 cm) of rain, nearly double the August average. More storms are also forecast, CNN adds.
“The flood threat zone will remain virtually unchanged on Wednesday and Thursday. Areas where the ground is already waterlogged from rainfall earlier in the week will be even more susceptible to flooding. In regions where there will be more precipitation, the consequences of floods may be more serious and destructive,” the TV channel notes.
Previously, RTVI talked about how the intensifying climate phenomenon El Niño could lead to the highest water levels on record off the California coast, increasing the risk of widespread and destructive flooding.
