On June 11th, the Village of Bridgeview was hit by a major EF2 Tornado with confirmed winds between 70 to 85 miles per hour. The EF2 tornado, along with a major thunderstorm, severely damaged and cut power to houses, streets, schools, and businesses all throughout the Village. Neighborhoods were covered in debris, branches, and other remnants from the troubling weather. Despite uprooted trees crushing garages, falling debris damaging cars, and high winds puncturing roofs, not a single injury was reported due to the storm.
“I’m extremely relieved to hear that none of our residents were harmed during the intense weather,” said Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek.
In the initial six hours of the storm rolling through, the Bridgeview Fire Department responded to over 41 emergency incidents. Public works was fully staffed and mobilized to help clear up the roads and other public access ways obstructed by debris. A tree service was called in to assist in the cleaning efforts, the Bridgeview chipper ran over 12 hours each day to break down fallen branches.
In an effort to provide relief to residents from the loss of power and uncomfortable heat the Bridgeview Community Center and Village Hall converted into cooling centers. The American Red Cross assisted in the relief efforts by providing meals and cleaning supplies to residents, and ComEd provided storm kits with flashlights and other vital supplies. Even the Lyons Township Summer Interns jumped into the fray by walking the streets and clearing out Bridgeview storm drains to ensure proper water flow and reduce flooding.
The community showed incredible bravery, teamwork, and strength in dealing with this crisis. When asked about the response, Bridgeview Fire Chief Keith Grzadziel praised the work of the hardworking firefighters. “I am extremely proud of my firefighters as they performed tirelessly and professionally in situations where we would normally have five to eight times the amount of personnel operating at these incidents.” This bravery was consistent throughout the entire village as within days the worst of the damage from the storm and EF2 tornado was cleaned up.
Mayor Landek and the Village of Bridgeview applaud the courage of all our first responders and residents who reacted with grace and comradery in response to the severe weather and its damages. “Our well-balanced community always comes together in times of need, and we remain Bridgeview strong!”
