Severe thunderstorms formed over parts of the Chicago metro area during the early afternoon of August 3rd.  The storms produced hail up to the size of golf balls and also produced very heavy rain and flooding.  4.14 inches of rain was reported in just 90 minutes six miles east of Ohare Airport.  The Kennedy expressway (Interstate 90) was closed at Lawerence where 4 to 6 feet of water covered the expressway.  Lawerence was also flooded at Western Avenue.  The City of Chicago reported 268 basements were flooded.  The hardest hit area was Jefferson Park in the northwest part of Chicago.  The roof of food storage building collapsed from the weight of the rain along Northwest Highway in Chicago.  Rainfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches across parts of north central Cook county.  Several tents were blown down at an outdoor festival in Roselle.  One person was injured when part of a tent fell on him.  Thunderstorms continued across northern Illinois into the evening hours.  A gust to 70 mph and nickel size hail was reported in Ashkum in Iroquois county.  A severe thunderstorm moved across Will county during the early evening hours and produced several reports of nickel and quarter size hail.  Nickel size hail fell at the National Weather Service office in Romeoville for 5 minutes.  In addition to the hail, this storm aslo produced very heavy rain and flooding across north central Will county.  The National Weather Service office measured 1.60 inches of rain in just 30 minutes.  A viaduct was flooded near Interstate 80 and Center street in Joliet.  A train Viaduct was flooded along Route 53 in Crest Hill.  Three feet of water covered parts of Hale Avenue in Romeoville and two feet of water cover Belmont between Kingston and Camden.  Significant flooding was reported in Wheatland Township and in the White Eagle subdivision in Naperville, both in northwest Will county. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2 to 3 inches across Will county.  A tree was blown down onto a garage in Joliet and the garage suffered siginificant damage.  Lightning struck a home in Worth during the evening storms and started a small fire.

Hail in WILL, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 16:25:00 to 03-AUG-03 16:30:00 (CST)
Location: CREST HILL
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Reported at Renwick and Weber Roads.

Hail in WILL, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 16:30:00 to 03-AUG-03 16:45:00 (CST)
Location: ROMEOVILLE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Flash Flood in WILL, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 16:45:00 to 03-AUG-03 19:45:00 (CST)
Location: NORTH CENTRAL PORTION
Property damage: 500K
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in WILL, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 16:45:00 to 03-AUG-03 16:50:00 (CST)
Location: LOCKPORT
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Thunderstorm Wind in DU PAGE, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 11:50:00 to 03-AUG-03 11:55:00 (CST)
Location: ROSELLE
Magnitude: 52 EG
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Heavy Rain in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 12:45:00 to 03-AUG-03 12:45:00 (CST)
Location: CHICAGO
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Lightning in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 17:20:00 to 03-AUG-03 17:20:00 (CST)
Location: WORTH
Property damage: 5K
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Thunderstorm Wind in WILL, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 16:30:00 to 03-AUG-03 16:30:00 (CST)
Location: JOLIET
Magnitude: 57 EG
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

Hail in WILL, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 16:30:00 to 03-AUG-03 16:35:00 (CST)
Location: NAPERVILLE
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Hail in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 12:35:00 to 03-AUG-03 12:40:00 (CST)
Location: CHICAGO
Magnitude: 1.75 
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO

Golf ball size hail reported at Belmont and Central.

Hail in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 12:50:00 to 03-AUG-03 12:55:00 (CST)
Location: FRANKLIN PARK
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Hail in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 12:55:00 to 03-AUG-03 13:00:00 (CST)
Location: CHICAGO
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO

Flash Flood in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 13:00:00 to 03-AUG-03 17:00:00 (CST)
Location: NORTH CENTRAL PORTION
Property damage: 1M
Reported by: BROADCAST MEDIA

Hail in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 13:15:00 to 03-AUG-03 13:20:00 (CST)
Location: (ORD)O'HARE INTL ARP
Magnitude: 1.25 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Thunderstorm Wind in IROQUOIS, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 14:48:00 to 03-AUG-03 14:48:00 (CST)
Location: ASHKUM
Magnitude: 61 EG
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in IROQUOIS, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 14:48:00 to 03-AUG-03 14:53:00 (CST)
Location: ASHKUM
Magnitude: 0.88 
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 12:00:00 to 03-AUG-03 12:05:00 (CST)
Location: NILES
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Reported at Dempster and Waukegan Roads.

Hail in COOK, ILLINOIS
From 03-AUG-03 12:20:00 to 03-AUG-03 12:25:00 (CST)
Location: NILES
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER