Severe storms flooded central Indiana with as much as 25cm of rain on Saturday and spawned tornadoes that ripped up roofs and flipped tractor-trailers in Wisconsin and Chicago suburbs.
The floods in Indiana threatened dams, inundated highways and forced the Coast Guard to rescue residents from swamped homes.
To the northwest, Chicago-area residents ran for cover as tornadoes touched down throughout the region.
Wisconsin had a few tornado injuries and at least one injury was reported near Chicago.
The governor declared an emergency in 17 counties as the Coast Guard was called in from the Great Lakes to help with flooding that has forced hundreds of people from their homes.
Indiana had been spared any reported deaths or injuries due to flooding, but the Coast Guard was called in from the Great Lakes to help with flooding that has forced hundreds of people from their homes and closed portions of major routes.
Near Chicago, Will County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Pat Barry said a tornado damaged several homes in the Wilmington area and toppled trees and power lines.
A person was injured on Interstate 57 in the southern suburbs, and a swath of the major highway closed as authorities worked to clear overturned trucks, state Trooper Mark Dorencz said.
Tornadoes were also reported in Lake County, north of the city, and in Livingston County, to the southwest.
Central and southeastern Wisconsin were pelted with baseball-size hail in a storm that blew roofs off homes, toppled trees and power lines, and injured at least six people.
Heavy rains also pelted the area, causing flash flooding.
Flooding built up around Milwaukee, where water as deep as 60cm in roads caused parked cars to drift and closed parts of an interstate highway.
On the south side of town, two vacant buildings partially collapsed because of the heavy rains, authorities said.
No injuries were reported there.
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