‘Absolute heartbreak for all’: Clean-up underway after severe storms devastate northwest suburbs

Throughout the day, a small army of workers descended to the 700 block of Huntington Commons Road as a massive cleanup effort got underway. Early Saturday evening, when storms rolled through the Chicago area, a microburst, confirmed by the National Weather Service, tore the roof off an apartment building.

Cars parked nearby also suffered damage, as Marcin Beliczynski had just gotten out of his Nissan SUV and into his apartment when the unthinkable occurred.

“I pulled up Saturday, maybe three or five minutes before all this stuff happened,” he said. “Someone came to get me. That’s what I saw – my car – it’s totaled. It’s heartbreaking. People don’t have houses. It’s terrible. It’s terrible.”

Storm damage led to the evacuation of more than 300 residents. Many lower-floor units sustained water damage.

Neighbor Matt Denslew said the devastation is gutwrenching.

“It’s absolute heartbreak for all of us in the community,” Denslew said. “It brings people together, but it’s something you don’t want to see happen to your friends and your family.”

The American Red Cross will aid those who have been affected.

“This is going to be weeks, and we’ll be here until everyone has another place to stay,” Denslew said.

The storm system, he says, is impacting other areas too.

At the height of the storm, ComEd reported more than 215,000 of its customers lost power, including those in Crystal Lake, DeKalb, Joliet, Cary, Rockford, and Skokie.

Workers have restored nearly all services.

The Village of Mount Prospect, along with engineers, toured the apartment complex Monday morning to evaluate its structural integrity.

“Our village is working with the property management,” said Julie Kane with the Village of Mount Prospect. “You know, there’s been a lot of communication all the way through to try to communicate with residents who may be able to access property at some point, some people’s property is, you know, potentially damaged beyond prepared due to water.”

The village has set up an emergency fund for those impacted by the storm.

Despite the headache of cleaning efforts and a damaged SUV, Beliczynski told WGN-TV that he’s choosing to remain optimistic.

“It is what it is,” he said. “It’s life. Nobody died, everybody is safe. That’s the most important thing.”