(CHICAGO) The Lollapalooza music festival was being evacuated Sunday afternoon after the National Weather Service issued a brief severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Cook and DuPage counties.
Officials announced the evacuation for the Grant Park fest about 2:40 p.m. because of the NWS warning, issued about 2:20 p.m.
Festival-goers were being ushered out of the Grant Park fest by staff and the Chicago Police Department to underground evacuation and shelter sites along Michigan Avenue, according to a statement from Lollapalooza media representatives.
The NWS warning was issued at 2:20 p.m. and will expire at 3 p.m. for storms that could produce golf-sized hail, 60 mph wind gusts and cloud-to-ground lighting, the weather service said.
Although skies remained blue and cloudless downtown at 2:30 p.m., Chicago is included in a list of specific areas that could be hit.
A severe thunderstorm was located just over Bartlett or Carol Stream in the northwest suburbs, the weather service said.
The weather service advises people to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.
Lollapalooza staff is working with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications to determine when it’s safe for people to return to the fest, the statement said.
