McKinley Park homeowners weigh options after storm causes tree to crash into 3 South Side homes

CHICAGO (WGN) — When rain falls and the winds howl as storms roll through Chicago, pieces of nature that dot the concrete landscape can often transform from picturesque scenery to sources of structural damage.

Such was the case on the South Side Wednesday for three homes in the McKinley Park neighborhood.

It was just after 3 p.m. when strong winds and rain rustled the 3600 block of South Honore Street, crossing paths with a tree well past its prime as the storm picked up energy.

Then in a split second, limbs from that tree hit not one or two houses, but three in a row.

“A big boom and a big flash and my father screamed,” said James Fabian, one of the homeowners affected. “I came to the front and sure enough, this tree was on our house.”

Fabian has lived in his home on Honore for the last 45 years. He said he’s never experienced something to this extent, but when it comes to the tree that fell on his home, he has levied a few complaints.

“I told the city to knock this tree down for years, and they told me it was healthy,” Fabian said. “But if you look at the tree, you see how rotten it is.”

Surveying the area around Fabian’s home, one part of the tree sat on his roof. Another part damaged the fence on the home to his left, and a third part left the stairs blocked to his neighbor’s home on the right.

All three homeowners said they’ve called the city’s 3-1-1 helpline and filed a police report. Next up is contacting their insurance companies and waiting for city workers to remove the tree limbs from their property.

“I don’t know how bad the roof is until they take this tree off of there,” Fabian said. “I looked inside and I didn’t see [any] holes and I didn’t see [any] cracks, so hopefully [it’s] good.”

Those who have dead or downed trees on their property can reach out to the city’s Bureau of Forestry to coordinate removal. Chicago residents can call 311 to do so, or visit the city’s website online by clicking here.