Lisa Muellman, originally from Evergreen Park, said her apartment in Justice was the first place of her own after couch surfing for years.
In the five years since her move, she filled her apartment with family photos, books, a thrifted turquoise cabinet and affirmations of home on the walls.
“It was my sanctuary,” she said Thursday.
A June 11 tornado tore roofs and walls from apartment buildings at 8045 and 8049 W. 83rd St. in Justice, upending the lives of Muellman and her neighbors. Wind speeds ranged from 111 to 135 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
A week later, standing among her waterlogged belongings, Muellman said she did not know what to grab or where to go next as the owner and insurance companies determine whether to repair or demolish the building.
She said the Red Cross offered her shelter, but she could not find support for storing or moving her belongings.
“I’m alive, but yeah, I’m leaving a lot behind,” she said. “I need help organizing, so I’ve done a lot of this by myself.”
As severe storms continued through June 17, residents across the Chicago area are still dealing with the aftermath, said Alex Joves, executive director of the Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security.
As of June 18, 676 residents in Cook County reported they were affected by storm damage, according to a self assessment storm damage survey distributed by the department.
“Our communities experienced significant impacts from last week’s storms,” said Joves.
The tornado that touched down in Hickory Hills near Muellman’s apartment was one of 17 that tore through the region June 11, according to the National Weather Service.
The Justice Police Department received multiple 911 calls June 11 near Muellman’s apartment building, according to Fred Schuerg, deputy police chief. He said a few calls reported a ceiling falling in, power lines down and no electricity.
Schuerg reported minor injuries and no deaths related to the June 11 storm. He said of the two apartment buildings on 83rd Street, one building had the roof and athird-floor wall blown off and another lost the roof and third-floor interior ceilings. Buildings also appear to be twisted, he said.
The night before the tornados, a derecho with wind gusts up to 85 mph and multiple thunderstorms caused widespread damage and more than 674,600 power outages across the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service and Commonwealth Edison.
Muellman said, luckily, when the storm damaged the building June 11, most of her neighbors had already vacated the building because they lost power the night before.
But she said she has struggled to figure out next steps.
She said her landlord told her and other residents to find a place to live for six months while he worked on reconstructing the building. But she was unsure if she and her neighbors had long-term places to stay.
Muellman said she found initial shelter with a friend, but the friend has health issues, and she was not sure how long she can stay. She also said she was paying $100 a month for a 5-by-10 storage unit that could not fit all her belongings.
After spending a few days sorting through her apartment, Muellman said she planned to leave about 85% of her belongings behind because they were either water logged or she did not have storage space.
She said she kept her new couch, family photos, her family’s china and some comfortable clothes. She said she planned to leave behind the rest of her clothes, her bed, her favorite turquoise thrifted cabinet, a couch and all of her books.
“I love to read, and there’s so many that I haven’t read yet that were given to me,” she said.
She said her mail carrier paused her mail, and she was unsure where to set it up. She said she was told she would be given a rent rebate and that her security deposit would be returned, but she had not received the payments as of Thursday.
James Lurquin, deputy code enforcement officer for Justice, advised residents to contact the Red Cross for resources and said he was unsure whether the two apartment buildings on 83rd Street would be demolished and how long that process could take.
He said the village is waiting until the owners’ insurance states whether the buildings are structurally possible to fix. He also said the owners would need to file for a demolition permit with the county before the village could grant a permit.
Each permit process could take at least three to five days, he said.
For now, he said the owners have placed tarps on the building, and the village is doing a lot of repair and cleanup work.
Local, county and state officials, along with the Red Cross and other advocates, have mobilized to provide shelter and urge residents to seek help, even if it’s mental health support or to replace medications and eyeglasses.
“These disasters are a loss, and sometimes it’s helpful for people to sit down and speak with somebody with a mental health background,” said Connie Esparza, the regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Illinois.
Esparza said residents can contact the Red Cross for assistance by calling 1-800-733-2767
awright@chicagotribune.com
