As severe storms battered the Chicago area Tuesday evening, many were quick to notice the wild scene unfolding in the sky.
A dramatic lightning show was on display in multiple locations.
For some, the lightning came in the middle of a shelf cloud that formed on the edge of a rapidly developing thunderstorm, which ultimately left a trail of damage in its path.
Just as the storm was beginning to build, many in the northwest Chicago suburbs reported seeing the large cloud with continuous lightning inside it moving from east to west.
According to the National Weather Service, “a shelf cloud will usually be associated with a solid line of storms.”
“The wind will come first with rain following behind it. It may appear to rotate on a horizontal axis,” the NWS reports.
Storm damage was reported across multiple suburbs, including Glenview, Bolingbrook, Wauconda, Mt. Prospect and Lincolnshire, where giant, uprooted trees damaged sheds, roofs and siding.
Photos and video from damage across the area show downed branches across streets and yards, with debris lining the roads.
As of early Wednesday morning, thousands remained without power.
Here’s a look at more of the images viewers captured of the bright and stormy display: