Strong wind and torrential rain buffeted the Midwest Tuesday as forecasters predicted the giant storm could be the most powerful to hit Illinois in over seven decades.

The massive storm muscled its way across an area that stretched from the Dakotas to the eastern Great Lakes. Severe thunderstorm warnings blanketed much of the Midwest, and tornado warnings were issued from Arkansas to southern Illinois. Flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport, the Midwestern hub.

Commuters in the Chicago area faced blustery, wind-driven rain as they waited for trains to take them downtown before dawn. Some huddled underneath train overpasses to stay out of the gusts, dashing to the platform at the last minute.

Anthony Quit, a 24-year-old jewelry store worker in Chicago, said the wind rendered umbrellas virtually useless and that driving was hazardous.

"The wind was almost blowing horizontally. The rain was slapping me in the face," Quit said. "My umbrella shot off ... It was pretty dangerous."

He said the wind was so strong that his car "was starting to veer off the road."

Another commuter described a frightening pre-dawn drive to the train station.

"It was raining really, really hard. Coming down the street I was kind of getting really nervous; even with the bright lights you couldn't see in front of you," said Delphine Thompson, 53, a telecom manager in Chicago.

The weather service said gusts that topped 50 miles per hour slammed into the Chicago suburb of Lombard early Tuesday. Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Allsopp said the storm could be one of the strongest to hit Illinois in more than 70 years.

High winds forced authorities to stop flights at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

A spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation said officials have issued a temporary "ground stop" at O'Hare, meaning no flights are departing.

Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride said more than 125 flights were canceled at O'Hare. No cancelations are being reported at Midway International Airport on Chicago's South Side.

The storm was also picking up speed on Twitter, where people were dubbing it "Chiclone" and "Windpocalypse."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the storm toppled part of a building in south St. Louis, with bricks and rubble from the roof and facade toppling onto the street. No injuries were reported, and the building's structural integrity was being examined.

In Milwaukee, some restaurants moved sidewalk furniture indoors as the storm approached and homeowners scrambled to batten down anything that might be swept away by the storm.

Forecasters said strong gusts could be expected through the day.

"We're expecting sustained winds on the order of 35 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph throughout the afternoon," said Edward Fenelon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Romeoville, Ill. He said the storm's central pressure is equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

The storm is one of the strongest to hit the Midwest in decades, Fenelon said.

"This is a very different type of event," he said. "But that does give an indication of the magnitude of the winds. This isn't something you see even every year."

He said the winds will subside Tuesday evening but could pick up again on Wednesday.

Eleven states are under a high wind warning. Those states are: Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio and parts of Kentucky.

Strong winds have blanketed the Northern Plains, with heavy snow not far behind.

Meanwhile, much of North Dakota was under a blizzard warning. The National Weather Service said up to 10 inches of snow could fall in some areas into early Wednesday.

The snow is expected across North Dakota and into northern South Dakota. Forecasters said wind gusts of more than 50 mph in many areas would make travel treacherous.

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Associated Press writer Tamara Starks in Chicago contributed to this story.