( CNN ) -- A fast-moving storm system struck parts of the Upper Midwest hard on Wednesday evening , delivering blows to Chicago and many other communities before moving quickly to inflict damage farther east . The Windy City itself experienced gusts that measured about 50 mph around 6 p.m. ( 7 p.m . ET ) , in addition to dime-size hail , the National Weather Service 's Chicago branch said . Cities and towns near Chicago were affected as well . About 50 miles southwest , in Kendall County , residents were urged to hunker down after storm spotters `` reported wall clouds '' that suggest a possible tornado , according to weather service . In DeKalb County , some 60 miles west of Chicago , straight-line winds downed power lines , and some large trees appeared to be damaged , Chief Deputy Gary Dumdie of the country sheriff 's department said . To the east in Lake County , Indiana , a severe thunderstorm warning advised residents to brace for 80 mph wind gusts and pingpong-ball-size hail . Some 35 miles south near Crete , Illinois , radar showed winds were blowing up to 80 mph . All this commotion was thanks to a swift and , at times , powerful storm system that moved across the Upper Midwest and into the Ohio Valley on Wednesday evening . One of the first indications that it would be tumultuous day came around 4:30 p.m. , when a `` confirmed tornado '' touched down about 8 miles east of Belmond in Wright County , Iowa . Several businesses and one home in Belmond were destroyed , while three other homes suffered significant damage , said Iowa emergency management spokeswoman Stefanie Bond . Thankfully , there were no reports of fatalities or injuries . The storm 's impact was n't unexpected : The Storm Prediction Center had warned that Indiana , Ohio and much of Illinois , including the city of Chicago , faced a `` high risk '' -- the most perilous category -- of severe weather through Wednesday night . The portion of the United States under a moderate risk for severe weather extended farther and included the cities of Cedar Rapids , Iowa ; Indianapolis , Indiana ; and Columbus , Ohio . The threat of tornadoes was particularly high in southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois , thanks to severe thunderstorms capable of producing a twister . There was a possibility they could strike well beyond that , though , with the weather service issuing tornado watches through midnight Wednesday for much of Ohio , southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia . Russ Schneider , director of the Storm Prediction Center , explained that the type of severe weather that hit the Upper Midwest was a derecho . Derived from the Spanish word for `` straight ahead , '' derechos are a weather phenomenon that traditionally happens only a few times a year . It is defined as a line of storms that produces a swath of damage more than 240 miles long with gusts of at least 58 mph . A derecho forms thanks in large part to warm , humid air , instability in the atmosphere and jet-stream winds , which can organize the storms into isolated storms called super cells . Those super cells rotate among themselves , then cluster into powerful wind systems that can become derechos , Schneider said . A line of such storms travels quickly , often at around 50 to 60 mph , which is much faster than most other types of storms . `` ( So ) what looks like a very dark cloud on the horizon very rapidly becomes an imminent threat , '' explained Schneider . `` ( People should ) make sure they know where they go to seek shelter , and what actions they need to take as warnings are issued . '' Calmer conditions should return to the Upper Midwest on Thursday : Chicago 's forecast , for instance , calls for a breezy , mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching a high of around 65 . By then , the greatest severe weather threat will have shifted east . The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting that severe weather will be possible Thursday in the mid-Atlantic , an area that includes that includes Richmond , Virginia ; Washington ; Baltimore , Maryland ; Philadelphia and the southern half of New Jersey . A much bigger chunk of the eastern United States -- from Alabama and Georgia extending north up the Appalachian Mountains to New York City -- has a slight chance of severe weather , likely in the form of strong thunderstorms . CNN 's Tom Watkins , Joe Sutton and Cristy Lenz contributed to this report .
NEW : The mid- east will most likely have severe weather Thursday . NEW : Trees and power lines are downed west of Chicago . about 8 miles wind gusts , dime-sized hail in West Virginia ; stronger winds seen elsewhere . Tornado watches extend as far east as Chicago , Chicago .