CHATHAM (WBBM Newsradio) -- Trees and other debris brought down by this week's back-to-back severe storms have blocked more than 400 Chicago streets, and crews are working now to re-open them.
Tree branches lay in the street on Wabash Avenue in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. City leaders say more than 400 streets are blocked with debris from this week's storms.
Geoff Buchholz
Mayor Brandon Johnson and other emergency management leaders updated reporters Friday afternoon on the city's response to the storms that came through on Wednesday and Thursday. The National Weather Service reports the damage - which includes a mature tree snapping at its base and falling into the front of a three-flat apartment building - was caused by straight line winds. A spotter Thursday night recorded an 80-mile-per-hour wind gust in the Beverly neighborhood on the city's Far South side.
OEMC executive director Frank Velez said his operators received more than 100 reports of flooded basements and more than 600 traffic signal failures, out of more than 13,000 calls for assistance between both storms. However, there have been no reports of injuries.
Streets and Sanitation commissioner Cole Stallard said every city department is pitching in to help out: "We have more than 10,000 tree emergencies, and what's unique about this storm is ... it hit all 50 wards."
Davonte Milhouse has lived in this neighborhood for about five years. He was out mowing his lawn on Wabash Avenue as the sun shone through a sky dotted by puffy white clouds, as tree branches and limbs littered neighboring yards.
"It knocked down a lot of trees ... it knocked down a tree in front of my moms house," he said. "On the next block over two other trees fell over on a building and knocked out the windows, also there's a lot of intersections blocked by trees."
Had he ever seen anything like the scene in his neighborhood? "Nope. Not in Chicago."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson thanks city workers and department heads before updating reporters on storm cleanup in front of a home near 81st and Michigan in Chatham on the city's South side.
Geoff Buchholz
Mayor Johnson said assessment teams will be out next week to start gathering damage estimates, with an eye toward emergency declarations: "We are reminded of the interconnectedness of our region and the importance of coming together to rebuild and support one another."
OEMC has posted a survey online for people to report damage.
ComEd chief operating officer David Perez said the utility expects to re-connect all affected customers by midnight Sunday, and Streets and San said it hopes to have most blocked streets re-opened in the next few days.
