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Across Proviso, Communities Respond To Storm Damage, Heat Wave 


Sandra Belford picks up branches outside of her Broadview home on Tuesday morning, after a severe storm swept through the area on Monday evening. | Shanel Romain 

Wednesday, June 15, 2022 || By Michael Romain || @maywoodnews 

Public works, ComEd and private tree servicing crews, along with a range of elected officials, sweated it out across Proviso Township on Tuesday — a day after a severe storm cut patches of destruction through parts of the area. 

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted that it was “sending a survey team” to the suburbs of Streamwood, Schaumburg and Roselle this morning to investigate potential tornado damage. 

“We are also following up on damage in the Westchester/Bellwood/Maywood areas and may need to send a damage survey team there as well,” the NWS tweeted. 

Meanwhile, elected officials and public authorities took to social media to deliver updates that testified to the extent of the damage. 

On Monday morning, the Broadview Public Library was without power, prompting library officials to close the facility. 

As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, nearly 24 hours after Monday’s storm, ComEd officials said approximately 13,000 customers were still without power, including thousands in the Proviso Township area. 

An uprooted tree rests on a house in Bellwood after a major storm on June 13 that brought up to 90 mph winds, hail an inch in diameter and power outages, among other damage. | Shanel Romain

Westchester Acting Village President Nick Steker stated around the same time that approximately 1,500 homes in Westchester were without power, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson stated that 1,800 residents in her village were without power. And Berkeley village officials stated that, as of 9 a.m. on Tuesday, over 1,300 residents and businesses were still without power. 

“Crews are working around the clock to restore power to homes and businesses,” ComEd officials stated. “Estimated times of restoration can change throughout the process.” 

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Hillside resident, toured the Proviso Township area on Tuesday.

“I’ve been out surveying storm damage all day,” Speaker Welch stated on Facebook. “My office is in frequent contact with ComEd and they are working to restore power as quickly as possible. If you are in need of tree service, please contact my office at 708-450-1000 for a list of companies in the area. We are here to help where we can.”

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch surveying storm damage in Westchester. | Courtesy Speaker Welch/Facebook 

ComEd officials recommended that customers check its outage map at ComEd.com/Map for updates on outages. ComEd was also providing cooling buses and vans for residents without power.

According to the ComEd outage map, as of 6:36 p.m. on Tuesday, there were 6,216 customers with power outages in the nine suburbs that comprise the Village Free Press coverage area. 

In Stone Park, there were fewer than five while in Westchester there were 2,256, or about 30% of total ComEd customers served. Broadview’s 1,882 outages affected nearly 50% of ComEd customers in that village. 

The outages come as the Chicago area is under an excessive heat warning until 8 p.m. Tuesday, with dangerously hot conditions and heat index values between 106 degrees and 110 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. 

A chart showing outages by suburb in the VFP coverage area. The data is from ComEd’s online outage map. | VFP 

On Tuesday, cooling buses were parked outside of village halls in Westchester and Broadview, those suburbs’ mayors reported. 

Village officials across Proviso are urging patience as crews clean up debris. 

“At this stage, the main objective of Village crews is to clear streets of debris from the storms,” Berkeley village officials stated. “Please understand the clean-up of the entire town will take weeks if not months. If you do have damage to your home or have tree damage, please contact your insurance company as soon as possible.” 

A tree uprooted outside of a home on Kent Street in Westchester on Tuesday. | Shanel Romain 

Berkeley officials said that the McArthur Middle School Cafeteria, 1310 North Wolf Rd., will act as the village’s cooling shelter from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Residents who see a downed power-line or one that has sustained damage should report it promptly to ComEd by at 1-800-Edison-1.

In Maywood, Mayor Nathaniel George Booker urged residents to download the village’s MyCivic app on their smartphones in order to take photos and report issues that need to be addressed. 

A Dodge Charger sustained damage from falling debris that resulted from Monday’s severe storm. | Shanel Romain 

Mayor Thompson said that the Broadview Home Depot was assisting residents with removing debris from their backyards. She advised residents to text her their name and address at (708) 491-5556, if they need assistance. 

Thompson said the ComEd cooling bus will be in front of the Broadview Village Hall, 2350 S. 25th Ave. in Broadview, “all night as well as tomorrow,” adding that residents can get water and charge their electronics on the bus. 

A downed power-line made the Cermak Road overpass impassable on Tuesday morning. | Shanel Romain 

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