Gov. JB Pritzker and other state officials toured a Lansing neighborhood where fallen trees continued to block roads and sidewalks Friday afternoon, four days after an EF-1 tornado swept through the area.
Earlier in the day, the governor signed legislation intended to provide a one-time rebate to homeowners recovering from increased flooding. The three-year program, made possible by property tax revenues, will allow homeowners to apply for a rebate for up to 50% of expenses related to flood damage, up to $1,000.
Prior to the visit north of Schultz Park, Pritzker’s Republican opponent in the upcoming governor’s race, Darren Bailey, called on the governor to work with President Donald Trump to deliver relief to those in need after storms tore through the south and southwest suburbs Tuesday.
“My campaign offices receive calls from people looking for assistance because they don’t know where else to turn,” Bailey said Thursday. “They need resources. They need leadership, but unfortunately, government has been nowhere to be found, and that’s probably the single most important issue that I heard.”
Bailey said while he was speaking with people dealing with the destruction in Monee and University Park, Pritzker was unveiling a cow made of butter at the state fair.
The concern was echoed Friday by Jessica Steele, who huddled under an umbrella with her three children, hoping to hear from Pritzker. After Indiana Gov. Mike Braun declared a statewide disaster emergency Thursday, a necessary step before seeking federal assistance, Steele said she was left wondering when Pritzker would do the same for Illinois.
“How does Indiana, that’s only two minutes away from us, declare a natural disaster, and their governor is so responsive to people, but then (Pritzker) is revealing a cow or something downstate?” she said. “Nobody cares about a cow right now.”
Steele said outside organizations and neighbors have worked to provide as much support to residents as possible, “but you can’t help people if you have no resources to help them.”
“It’s traumatic, because I grew up out here,” she said. “I’ve been out here since I was in seventh grade, and I’m 40, and a lot of these trees — it changed the whole scenery. Lansing don’t even look like Lansing no more.”
State Sen. Elgie Sims said Pritzker and other state officials are keeping an eye on the destruction in the south suburbs and understand the importance of federal assistance for struggling communities. He did not say when the governor might issue a disaster declaration.
“We say ‘Lansing Strong,’ and that really means something,” the Chicago Democrat said. “Folks may have lost their homes, lost cars and property, but they’re standing up, not just for themselves, but for the entire community.”
Four tornadoes are confirmed to have swept through the Southland, including EF-1 tornadoes that spanned from Mokena to Tinley Park, Orland Park to Munster, Indiana, and Glenwood to Lansing, according to the National Weather Service.
An EF-2 tornado was seen taking a straight path from Monee to Crown Point, Indiana, according to the weather service.
In the news release Thursday announcing the flood damage rebates for homeowners, Pritzker said the law aimed to provide relief “as the federal government is stepping back from its responsibility to help communities recover from natural disasters.”
Pritzker cited two requests for relief that were denied last year, after record rainfall and flash flooding. Still, Democratic U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly urged the governor to issue a state disaster proclamation, emphasizing in a news release Thursday that without Pritzker taking that crucial step, “families and municipalities in the Southland remain ineligible for the resources they need to recover and rebuild.”
“Families across the Southland are hurting, and they need help fast,” Kelly said. “I’ve lived through storm damage myself. I know what it’s like to lose power for days and feel the weight of the storm damage. These families deserve the same urgency I know the governor is capable of.”
Lansing Mayor Brian Hardy, who walked with Pritzker through the Schultz Park neighborhood Friday, said the governor seemed “truly shocked” by the devastation.
“Here in the village of Lansing, we have 100-year-old trees, we’re an older community,” Hardy said. “We have some of these big, huge, mighty oaks. (The storm) just razed some of these beautiful downtown streets that we have in Schultz Park.”
He said he felt it important to show Pritzker what the residents were going through to impress on him the need for aid. But through the challenging times, Hardy said he was grateful for community members who have banded together to keep each other safe.
“Our residents came out in full force to help clean up as much debris as they can,” he said. “I had neighbors that didn’t have any power and they had food in their freezer and they fired up their grills and they were giving away hot dogs and hamburgers to anyone that needed something to eat.”
Cook County Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security said Thursday it was tracking damage across 15 municipalities, including structural damage, downed trees and power lines, localized flooding and roadway closures.
Coordinators conducted field damage assessments, while the department’s logistics team deployed generators and other emergency resources to support affected communities, a spokesperson said.
The Will County Emergency Management Agency said Friday its 211 hotline is the primary contact for residents needing resources related to the storms. It can connect residents with debris and tree removal assistance, emergency shelter, food and basic needs, cleanup and disaster recovery resources.
The county will open a multiagency resource center on Monday at the University Park Town Center, 90 Town Center Drive, hosting a variety of agencies offering recovery resources. The center will be open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Participating agencies are the Will County Health Department, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Insurance, American Red Cross, Veterans Assistance Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Will County Animal Protection Services and Salvation Army.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
