10:00 A.M. (6/23) : UPDATE WITH OFFICIAL WORD FROM WOODRIDGE AND NAPERVILLE

Woodridge

Here is the latest from the Village of Woodridge:

Damage Assessment: The Woodridge Community Development Department evaluated more than 700 addresses for damage. The damage assessment is approximately 80 percent complete. The damage assessment results as of June 22:

• 140 homes have major damage
• 21 homes are a complete loss
• Approximately 300 homes sustained some type of damage

Debris Clean up: Woodridge Public Works crews began roadway clean up immediately after the tornado hit. The first phase was to open all streets for emergency response, utility companies, and to vehicular traffic. Woodridge Public Works activated the request for mutual aid through the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid network. Woodridge received assistance of publicworks crews from Batavia, Lockport, Carol Stream, Hoffman Estates, Oswego, Western Springs, Homewood, and Bensenville, along with the Woodridge Park District and School District 68.

Public works will continue Phase 1 of opening streets, as well as removing damaged trees and limbs on public property and removing landscape debris on the parkway.

Power Outages
As of 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22 – ComEd has confirmed that power has been restored to approximately 97% of the estimated 6,200 impacted customers.
If you come across a downed power line, please report the downed line to 1-800-334-7661 (EDISON-1)
If you come across a power line that is arcing (sparking) – please call 9-1-1

Local Shelter
The American Red Cross has set up a shelter at Thomas Jefferson Junior High, 7200 Janes Ave. in Woodridge. The shelter has been established to accept anyone who has been displaced by the recent tornado and resulting damage in the area. The shelter is now open for intake. If you need assistance from the Red Cross, please call 877-597-0747. The Red Cross is not seeking donations at this location. Please see below for donation options.

Donations and Volunteers
Thank you everyone who has called and asked how to help. The Village will continue to add opportunities as they are identified.

Donations
The Village recommends working with your faith-based community resource to determine viable opportunities to offer in-kind donations.

West Suburban Community Pantry located at 6809 Hobson Valley Drive, # 118 in Woodridge has designated dates and times for those who need food and supplies and for those who have the opportunity to support their neighbors. The hours include Monday through Friday form 8:30 to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Donations of shelf stable foods, pet food, diapers, baby wipes, ONLY please, will be collected during these times. More information online, including the option to make a monetary donation, can be found at www.wscpantry.org.

The Woodridge Rotary Club is accepting monetary donations that will be redistributed to the Woodridge community, specifically for those who experienced damage from the recent tornado. Please visit the website here, and indicate Tornado Response in the “Comment” field. This local, not-for-profit organization, has the resources and commitment to ensure that the funds remain in Woodridge to those in need.

Volunteering
There is a tremendous outpouring of support from the community. Woodridge is currently assessing the needs of the families impacted by the tornado. Please complete the Woodridge Tornado Volunteer Form if you are interested in volunteering your services.  You will be contacted as we determine what support is needed, when, and where to assist.

Hope’s Front Door indicated that their organization provides emergency assistance services that might be beneficial to residents including:

• Food Vouchers (Grocery Store Gift Certificates)
• Transportation (Gas Vouchers, Train and Bus Passes)
• Toiletry Items
• Goodwill Store Certificates- for clothing & household goods
• Prescription Medication
• Emergency Oral Health Care
• Medical supplies
• Eye Exams/Eyeglasses

Building Permits

Building Permits are very beneficial to you and your community. By working with expert building inspectors, you will benefit from their knowledge of building codes to ensure your construction project is built right, will be safe, and will last.

Village issued building permits are required for the following:

• New buildings
• Additions (bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, etc.)
• Residential work (decks, garage, fences, fireplaces, pools, water heaters, etc.)
• Renovations (kitchen expansions, roofing)
• Electrical work
• Plumbing work
• HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems)

The best way to find out if you need a permit is to call Village Hall at 630.719.4750 or via our website at www.woodridgeil.gov . Even if a permit Is not needed, the building inspector will answer construction questions and may provide valuable advice.

Additionally, homeowners/business owners are required to ensure that their respective contractor is registered to do work in the Village. Contractor registration is at no cost but does require the submittal of various documents. General Contractors, Plumbing Contractors, Electrical Contractors, Blacktop, Concrete, & Paver Brick Contractors, Roofing Contractors, Water & Sewer Contractors, Fire Alarms / Burglar Alarms Contractors, Fire Suppression Contractors, Excavators, and HVAC Contractors, are ALL REQUIRED to be registered with the Village in addition to obtaining a building permit PRIOR to construction commencement.

Naperville

The City of Naperville is also updating residents via their website on clean up and how we can all help victims.

Clean up and inspection efforts continue in the area impacted by Sunday’s tornado. City crews will remain on site until approximately 8 p.m. today and again in the coming days to clear parkway trees, roadways and City property. Fire officials will also be in the area until 8 p.m. to assist residents. For the safety of crews and residents working at their properties, members of the public should continue to avoid the area.

As they clean up their properties, residents are asked to keep tree debris separate from house and other property debris, as this aids with the removal and disposal process.

A special brush collection to assist residents with clean up from Sunday’s storm has been scheduled for June 28 through July 3. Generally, the special collection area includes homes south of 75th Street between Plainfield-Naperville Road and Yackley Avenue with collection occurring in some neighborhoods as far south as Royce Road.

An interactive map on the City’s website allows residents to enter their address to see if they are included in the special collection boundaries. Residents within the special collection area should have brush/tree debris out on the parkway by 6 a.m. on Monday, June 28. Brush does not need to be cut to specific sizes or bundled for this special collection. Residents not included in the special brush collection area should follow the City’s standard yard waste guidelines, which can be found at www.naperville.il.us/yardwaste.

Plans are being finalized to conduct a special garbage pick-up in the hardest-hit area in the near future. Additional details about this collection will be released as they become available.

At its peak, 770 electric customers were without power following Sunday night’s storm. Naperville’s electric crews were able to restore power to all customers by 6 p.m. on Monday, June 21. Electric personnel will continue to be active in the area for several weeks making long-term fixes to infrastructure. Ongoing work may require intermittent outages.

Bailey Road remains closed between Washington Street and Naper Boulevard due to the removal of downed Naperville electric power lines and communication providers working on their equipment. Wehrli Road remains closed between 77th Street and Muirhead Avenue due to downed ComEd electrical lines. An estimate of reopening these roads is not available at this time.

Due to the tremendous outpouring of support from the community, the City of Naperville is no longer taking names of individuals wanting to participate in volunteer clean-up and relief opportunities. Contact information that was previously collected by staff has been provided to the Red Cross. Residents wishing to help local efforts are asked to make monetary donations through the Red Cross website or food donations to local food pantries. Additional information is available on the City’s website. As the City becomes aware of community-led efforts to assist tornado victims in the coming weeks and months, this information will be made available on the City’s website as well.

Report Damages

City crews continue to perform damage assessment in impacted areas and  are focused on repairing power lines and removing trees, limbs and other debris.

Report a Downed Parkway Tree Limb

Residents should use the Parkway Tree Service Request Form at www.naperville.il.us/storm-damage to report damage to parkway trees. Tree limbs and debris from trees located on residential property should be placed at the curb.

Plans are being finalized to conduct a special brush pick up in the hardest-hit area in the near future. Additional details will be released as they become available.

Debris Disposal

Information about disposal of trash and other debris will be shared in the near future.

Community Assistance

Below is a list of agencies that are providing various services that may be of help to you, a loved one, neighbor or friend during this time. These resources are those the City has been made aware of at this time. To request that the City consider including another resource on this list, please email the Communications Division at [email protected].

Local Shelter

• Jefferson Elementary School, 7200 Janes Avenue, Woodridge

The Red Cross

• A customer service center has been established at Ranchview Elementary School, 1651 Ranchview Drive, Naperville, to provide information and distribute cleaning kits. They are open until 8 p.m. every night.
• Chicago & Northern Illinois: 312-729-6258
• www.redcross.org/local/illinois/get-help.html 

Good Shepherd Church

• Those in need of assistance may submit their information at www.goodshepherd-naperville.org/connect/care-prayer/care-team

Mexican Consulate in Chicago

• Emergency Assistance: 1-888-755-5511

Volunteering and Donations

Volunteering

Due to the tremendous outpouring of support from the community, the City of Naperville is no longer taking names of individuals wanting to volunteer. 

• Good Shepherd Church, 1310 Shepherd Dr., Naperville is accepting information for volunteers at www.goodshepherd-naperville.org/connect/care-prayer/care-team.

Monetary Donations

• Monetary donations can be made to the Red Cross at www.redcross.org/local/illinois/ways-to-donate.html.

Dry Goods (Food, etc.)

• Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry, 1871 High Grove Lane, Naperville
• West Suburban Food Pantry, 6809 Hobson Valley Dr. Ste 118, Woodridge
  • Phone: 630-512-9921; Dial 0 to be connected with other resources in the area for clothing, etc.
  • Please limit donations to shelf stable foods, bottled water, pet food, diapers, wipes and cleaning supplies ONLY.

City officials are working with the Red Cross to determine what donation and/or volunteer assistance is needed.

Scam Awareness

Residents who suffered property damage should beware of scams and individuals looking to take advantage of this disaster. Currently, no companies are permitted by the City to be in the impacted area soliciting home improvement, clean up or other services. Residents should contact their insurance company directly and be cautious about giving information or business to companies that call or stop by their property unsolicited.

The American Red Cross of Illinois has been on site since 2:00 a.m. the morning after the storm. They have shelters set up for those with uninhabitable homes.

Our volunteers are setting up a shelter in Woodridge for people affected by the #tornado. Thank you, volunteers. pic.twitter.com/dMss6729d3

— American Red Cross of Illinois (@RedCrossIL) June 21, 2021