By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 01:09 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:16 EST, 13 June 2013 . A massive line of storms packing hail, lightning and tree-toppling winds rolled through the Midwest on Wednesday evening driving people into basements for shelter, tearing down power lines and causing flooding in low-lying areas. Forecasters predicted that by the time the storms were done, they could affect more than one in five Americans from Iowa to Maryland. In addition to tornadoes, lightning and . large hail, meteorologists warned about the possibility of a derecho -  a . storm of strong straight-line winds spanning at least 240 miles. Scroll down for video . Powerful: Lightning strikes the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago on June 12 - a massive storm with heavy rain, high winds, hail and possible tornadoes is expected to move into much of the Midwest today . Looming: A wall cloud, containing a reported funnel cloud, passes over the Wanatah, Indiana area as a line of severe storm moves through the area today . A firefighter fights a blaze in a garage in the Black Forest area, of Colorado Springs, Colorado . The ferocious weather came as a wildfire fueled by hot temperatures, gusty winds and thick, bone-dry forests destroyed 92 homes and prompted more than 7,000 residents northeast of Colorado Springs to flee, sheriff's official said on Wednesday. A separate Colorado wildfire to the south has destroyed 20 structures, including some in Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, and prompted evacuations of about 250 residents and nearly 1,000 inmates at a medium-security prison. To the north, another fire burned in Rocky Mountain National Park. Wildfires also were burning in New Mexico, Oregon and California, where a smokejumper was killed fighting one of dozens of lightning-sparked fires. Crews were so busy battling blazes across the West that the U.S. Forest Service said it was mobilizing a pair of Defense Department cargo planes to help - a step taken only when all of the Forest Service's contracted tankers already are in use. No other injuries or deaths have been reported at this time. Midwestern . Fierce: Lightning emerges from a storm cloud over Clear Lake illuminating a lone cypress tree in LaPorte, Indiana . Take cover: A wall cloud in northern Allen County drops what appears to be a funnel cloud on Wednesday just north of Fort Wayne, Indiana . In the Midwest, small tornadoes were reported in parts of Iowa and in Illinois. In Iowa, at least two businesses and a . home were 'completely damaged,' authorities said. In the small town of Belmond, Iowa, . about 90 miles north of Des Moines, Duwayne Abel, owner of Cattleman's . Steaks & Provisions restaurant, said a tornado swept through his . business' parking lot and demolished part of the building. No one was in . the restaurant at the time. 'I was, oh, eight miles west of town . and I looked toward town and I could see a funnel cloud, having no idea . it was exactly where our restaurant was,' Mr Abel said. His wife and an employee were able to get out of the restaurant and sought shelter in a basement. A . storm ripped through a farm in rural Alexander, destroying a motor . home. Tens of thousands of people across the Upper Midwest lost power. 'We're just happy that we don't have reports of injuries or fatalities,' said Stephanie Bond with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management. 'We just hope the extent of the damage is minimal.' By late Wednesday, a derecho hadn't developed, but conditions were still ripe for one, with more storms expected overnight, said Greg Carbin of the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. However he added that 'with each hour that goes by, it's less likely'. Derechoes, with winds of at least 58 mph, occur about once a year in the Midwest. Rarer than tornadoes but with weaker winds, derechoes produce damage over a much wider area. A derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Last year's historic storm saw widespread destruction and meteorologists fear it could be happening again, possibly affecting 64 million people in 10 states. In 2012, a record-breaking derecho caused $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington. Over 4 million were without power after the June 29, 2012 storm across 11 states. To be classified as a derecho, the line of storms must travel at least 240 miles and include wind gusts of at least 58 mph. 2012's storm saw winds as great as 100 mph. It can produce destruction similar to that of tornadoes, while the damage typically is directed in one direction. As a result, the term 'straight-line wind damage' is sometimes used to describe the phenomenon. Tornadoes and a derecho can happen at the same time. Straight-line winds lack the rotation that twisters have but they can still cause considerable damage as they blow down trees and other objects. In Wisconsin, authorities said thunderstorms packing heavy rain and high winds caused a Walmart roof to partially collapse. Lake Delton Fire Chief Darren Jorgenson says two employees had minor injuries, but no customers were hurt. Street flooding was reported in parts of the village of Boscobel in Grant County. Even before the storms moved through, officials postponed Wednesday night's Chicago White Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays and canceled a symphony concert at the city's downtown Millennium Park. The Metra commuter rail system temporarily halted all inbound and outbound trains, and Northwestern University canceled classes and finals at its campuses in Chicago and suburban Evanston. Airlines canceled more than 120 flights at O'Hare International Airport. In Indiana, the warnings prompted the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. to increase staff at its customer call center and to schedule extra work crews for any power outages. Golf-ball sized hail damaged some cars. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesman Cory Angell said a standby worker was added at the emergency operations center in Harrisburg and officials had ensured two National Guard helicopters were ready if needed for water rescues. Pouring: A vehicle slows down on a water-covered exit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . Wild weather: Friends and family helps clean up a farm owned by Ken and Sandy Dorenkamp after a tornado struck the area in rural Alexander, Iowa . Flood risk: Sarah Sturino wades to her vehicle in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin, after a thunderstorm dumped at least a half-inch of water . Last year, a derecho caused at least $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington, killing 13 people and leaving more than 4 million people without power, according to the weather service. Winds reached nearly 100 mph in some places and in addition to the 13 people who died from downed trees, an additional 34 people died from the heat wave that followed in areas without power. For Washington, Philadelphia and parts of the Mid-Atlantic the big storm risk continues and even increases a little on Thursday, according to the weather service. Ordeal: Ken and Sandy Dorenkamp's motor home was destroyed after a tornado struck the area leaving upturned trucks and extensive damage . Batten down the hatches: Lightning sparks over downtown Chicago as dozens of flights were canceled at O'Hare Airport . The term derecho was coined in 1888, said Ken Pryor, a research meteorologist at the Center for Satellite Applications and Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in College Park, Md. The word is Spanish for 'straight ahead' or 'direct,' Pryor said. he structure of a derecho-producing storm looks distinctive in radar and satellite imagery, Pryor said. 'The systems are very large and have signatures that are very extreme,' he said. 'You get large areas of very cold cloud tops that you typically wouldn't see with an ordinary thunderstorm complex. The storms take on a comma or a bow shape that's very distinctive.' More to come: The weather forecast for Thursday June 13 shows the severe weather systems spreading across the U.S. This graphic shows the area of greatest impacts, particularly Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, that will be hit by tornadoes and hail . Batten down the hatches: The Mid-West is braced for a derecho - these long, flat clouds are often associated with thunderstorms . Double whammy? Tornadoes are often associated with the same weather systems that produce derechoes. Pictured is a map of tornado probability during today's storm and into tomorrow .
Storms generate tornadoes, large hail, and cause power outages .
More than 120 flights canceled at O'Hare Airport in Chicago .
Area at risk includes 64 million people across 10 states .
Person killed in wild fires in northern California .
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 01:09 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:16 EST, 13 June 2013 . A massive line of storms packing hail, lightning and tree-toppling winds rolled through the Midwest on Wednesday evening driving people into basements for shelter, tearing down power lines and causing flooding in low-lying areas. Forecasters predicted that by the time the storms were done, they could affect more than one in five Americans from Iowa to Maryland. In addition to tornadoes, lightning and . large hail, meteorologists warned about the possibility of a derecho -  a . storm of strong straight-line winds spanning at least 240 miles. Scroll down for video . Powerful: Lightning strikes the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago on June 12 - a massive storm with heavy rain, high winds, hail and possible tornadoes is expected to move into much of the Midwest today . Looming: A wall cloud, containing a reported funnel cloud, passes over the Wanatah, Indiana area as a line of severe storm moves through the area today . A firefighter fights a blaze in a garage in the Black Forest area, of Colorado Springs, Colorado . The ferocious weather came as a wildfire fueled by hot temperatures, gusty winds and thick, bone-dry forests destroyed 92 homes and prompted more than 7,000 residents northeast of Colorado Springs to flee, sheriff's official said on Wednesday. A separate Colorado wildfire to the south has destroyed 20 structures, including some in Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, and prompted evacuations of about 250 residents and nearly 1,000 inmates at a medium-security prison. To the north, another fire burned in Rocky Mountain National Park. Wildfires also were burning in New Mexico, Oregon and California, where a smokejumper was killed fighting one of dozens of lightning-sparked fires. Crews were so busy battling blazes across the West that the U.S. Forest Service said it was mobilizing a pair of Defense Department cargo planes to help - a step taken only when all of the Forest Service's contracted tankers already are in use. No other injuries or deaths have been reported at this time. Midwestern . Fierce: Lightning emerges from a storm cloud over Clear Lake illuminating a lone cypress tree in LaPorte, Indiana . Take cover: A wall cloud in northern Allen County drops what appears to be a funnel cloud on Wednesday just north of Fort Wayne, Indiana . In the Midwest, small tornadoes were reported in parts of Iowa and in Illinois. In Iowa, at least two businesses and a . home were 'completely damaged,' authorities said. In the small town of Belmond, Iowa, . about 90 miles north of Des Moines, Duwayne Abel, owner of Cattleman's . Steaks & Provisions restaurant, said a tornado swept through his . business' parking lot and demolished part of the building. No one was in . the restaurant at the time. 'I was, oh, eight miles west of town . and I looked toward town and I could see a funnel cloud, having no idea . it was exactly where our restaurant was,' Mr Abel said. His wife and an employee were able to get out of the restaurant and sought shelter in a basement. A . storm ripped through a farm in rural Alexander, destroying a motor . home. Tens of thousands of people across the Upper Midwest lost power. 'We're just happy that we don't have reports of injuries or fatalities,' said Stephanie Bond with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management. 'We just hope the extent of the damage is minimal.' By late Wednesday, a derecho hadn't developed, but conditions were still ripe for one, with more storms expected overnight, said Greg Carbin of the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. However he added that 'with each hour that goes by, it's less likely'. Derechoes, with winds of at least 58 mph, occur about once a year in the Midwest. Rarer than tornadoes but with weaker winds, derechoes produce damage over a much wider area. A derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Last year's historic storm saw widespread destruction and meteorologists fear it could be happening again, possibly affecting 64 million people in 10 states. In 2012, a record-breaking derecho caused $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington. Over 4 million were without power after the June 29, 2012 storm across 11 states. To be classified as a derecho, the line of storms must travel at least 240 miles and include wind gusts of at least 58 mph. 2012's storm saw winds as great as 100 mph. It can produce destruction similar to that of tornadoes, while the damage typically is directed in one direction. As a result, the term 'straight-line wind damage' is sometimes used to describe the phenomenon. Tornadoes and a derecho can happen at the same time. Straight-line winds lack the rotation that twisters have but they can still cause considerable damage as they blow down trees and other objects. In Wisconsin, authorities said thunderstorms packing heavy rain and high winds caused a Walmart roof to partially collapse. Lake Delton Fire Chief Darren Jorgenson says two employees had minor injuries, but no customers were hurt. Street flooding was reported in parts of the village of Boscobel in Grant County. Even before the storms moved through, officials postponed Wednesday night's Chicago White Sox game against the Toronto Blue Jays and canceled a symphony concert at the city's downtown Millennium Park. The Metra commuter rail system temporarily halted all inbound and outbound trains, and Northwestern University canceled classes and finals at its campuses in Chicago and suburban Evanston. Airlines canceled more than 120 flights at O'Hare International Airport. In Indiana, the warnings prompted the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. to increase staff at its customer call center and to schedule extra work crews for any power outages. Golf-ball sized hail damaged some cars. Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokesman Cory Angell said a standby worker was added at the emergency operations center in Harrisburg and officials had ensured two National Guard helicopters were ready if needed for water rescues. Pouring: A vehicle slows down on a water-covered exit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . Wild weather: Friends and family helps clean up a farm owned by Ken and Sandy Dorenkamp after a tornado struck the area in rural Alexander, Iowa . Flood risk: Sarah Sturino wades to her vehicle in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin, after a thunderstorm dumped at least a half-inch of water . Last year, a derecho caused at least $1 billion in damage from Chicago to Washington, killing 13 people and leaving more than 4 million people without power, according to the weather service. Winds reached nearly 100 mph in some places and in addition to the 13 people who died from downed trees, an additional 34 people died from the heat wave that followed in areas without power. For Washington, Philadelphia and parts of the Mid-Atlantic the big storm risk continues and even increases a little on Thursday, according to the weather service. Ordeal: Ken and Sandy Dorenkamp's motor home was destroyed after a tornado struck the area leaving upturned trucks and extensive damage . Batten down the hatches: Lightning sparks over downtown Chicago as dozens of flights were canceled at O'Hare Airport . The term derecho was coined in 1888, said Ken Pryor, a research meteorologist at the Center for Satellite Applications and Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in College Park, Md. The word is Spanish for 'straight ahead' or 'direct,' Pryor said. he structure of a derecho-producing storm looks distinctive in radar and satellite imagery, Pryor said. 'The systems are very large and have signatures that are very extreme,' he said. 'You get large areas of very cold cloud tops that you typically wouldn't see with an ordinary thunderstorm complex. The storms take on a comma or a bow shape that's very distinctive.' More to come: The weather forecast for Thursday June 13 shows the severe weather systems spreading across the U.S. This graphic shows the area of greatest impacts, particularly Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, that will be hit by tornadoes and hail . Batten down the hatches: The Mid-West is braced for a derecho - these long, flat clouds are often associated with thunderstorms . Double whammy? Tornadoes are often associated with the same weather systems that produce derechoes. Pictured is a map of tornado probability during today's storm and into tomorrow .
to tornadoes, lightning and . large hail, million people in 10 states. In 2012, a 120 flights at O'Hare International Airport. In work crews for any power outages. Golf-ball sized Chicago as dozens of flights were canceled at