The tornado that tore through Kankakee County this week destroyed at least 30 homes and damaged nearly 500 buildings, Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday.
No deaths were reported in Illinois and there were “very few” injuries, Pritzker said during a briefing after surveying the damage in Kankakee and Aroma Park.
“Much of that was people looking out for each other, but it was also a little bit of luck here and there, as I’ve heard from some people affected by this, but either way, we’re all grateful,” Pritzker said.
Two deaths were confirmed in Indiana.
ComEd has restored “99%” of power to the community, with full restoration expected by Thursday night, the governor added.
Buildings damaged by the storm include schools, Riverside Hospital, the Kankakee County jail and courthouse, and the Shapiro Developmental Center, state officials said. The Shapiro center is a state facility that provides services and support to adults with developmental disabilities.
Citing preliminary findings, the National Weather Service categorized the tornado as an EF3, on a five-step scale, with EF5 being the most powerful. It touched down around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday just west of Aroma Park and swept west for about 35 miles, reaching a point near Demotte, Indiana.
A couple in Lake Village, Indiana, died in the storm after the tornado hit there just before 7 p.m. Tuesday. Officials identified them as Edward L Kozlowski, 89, and his wife Arlene Kozlowski, 84.
The storm also produced potentially record-setting hail in Illinois and Indiana that also caused extensive damage to homes and vehicles.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency was still assessing damage Thursday throughout Kankakee County, Pritzker said. The governor couldn’t yet put a dollar figure on how much the state could offer for recovery assistance.
“We’ve got to assess all the damage and figure out how much it will cost to restore not just the individual homes and the damage that’s been done, but very importantly also, the community resources and infrastructure,” Pritzker said.
The state plans to bring its assessments to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, hoping to bring in federal resources as well.
“Just looking around, this looks like a circumstance where federal resources will be triggered and should come to this community,” Pritzker said.
“I have some confidence here because I think it’s pretty obvious that the damage here is devastating,” Pritzker added, referring to the Trump administration’s denial of an appeal from the state of Illinois for disaster relief funds for summer storms last year.
Added Pritzker: “I think the fact that it’s evident just by pictures, really, or walking around, you can see that this community needs help.”
