A powerful storm that swept across Illinois Wednesday downed power lines, left scores of branches in yards and streets, and triggered flooding in several areas of Park Forest. The National Weather Service today confirmed that a EF1 strength tornado did touchdown in Park Forest and neighboring Matteson with winds from 90 to 105 mph.
Thirty-four homes reported minor damage including water in basements and damage to roofs.
As of 2:00 a.m. Friday morning, 394 homes were still without power. A bulk of those homes are located in the hardest hit section of Park Forest on Well Street and Well Court.
Officials at ComEd are working to restore service to all residents but do expect delays due to a pole and transformer that needed to be ordered.
Crews from Cook County are expected to provide assistance with clean-up efforts today. Over the next few days, homeowners should look to collect and place all branches on their curb--before July 1. Public Works crews will conduct a Village-wide pick-up of branches over the next few weeks. Branches placed on curbs after July 1 will not be removed.
Residents are reminded that crews do not go onto private properties for collection. Thus, it is imperative that branches be placed at the curb.
Additionally, any downed lines that were disconnected from homes are the responsibility of homeowners. In these situations, an electrician should be contacted to reconnect the line to the home.
Residents with questions should contact the Public Works Department by calling 708.748.1112.
