A short but intense storm on Aug. 10 caused extensive damage in town. High winds downed branches and whole trees. Roads were blocked. Fences fell. Cars and houses were covered by branches. Some residents lost power.
Public Works Director John Doss said in his 37 years in town, this is the worst he’s seen.
It was quick, said Doss, but winds were recorded up to 90 miles per hour, followed by sustained winds that caused more destruction.
“There wasn’t a street in town where something didn’t come down,” said Doss, who estimates the village will need to completely remove at least 20 trees as a result of storm damage, and it will be “a couple weeks” to complete all the clean-up from the storm.
By the morning of Aug. 11, a southbound lane of traffic on Harlem Avenue was still blocked, a huge tree down in the road. Doss said the village will clear it, but ComEd needs to take care of the electric wires first, which are tangled in the fallen branches.
Doss praised his staff as “outstanding,” working tirelessly to clean up the streets in town. But it wasn’t just the Public Works Department who helped. Fire Chief Bob McDermott and the fire and police departments participated in removing trees from streets. Village Administrator Tim Gillian and Public Health and Safety Director Steve Glinke were out well into the evening cutting branches and trees.
“And there were residents out there, helping drag branches out of the way,” said Doss. “It was truly a team effort by the town. It was something to see.”
Residents can stack branches in the parkway, and public works will remove them as soon as possible.
