Gov.-elect Pritzker visits Taylorville, lauds ‘neighbor helping neighbor’ week after tornado
"Thank you to all the emergency management personnel, to the mayor and to the (fire) chief and everybody that's doing recovery here in
Democrats Pritzker and Lt. Gov.-elect
The
Rauner saw the damage for himself last Sunday afternoon as displaced families found help at a designated shelter set up with the
Local and state emergency management officials spent the early part of the week setting up systems for receiving what has been an outpouring of support from throughout the state for the community, which had 23 people hospitalized by the storms and 506 homes damaged, including 34 that were destroyed.
"When we take office (
Pritzker was joined by
Photographs and video earlier in the week from
While the media were not allowed to accompany that tour due to concerns over narrow streets and storm debris still scattered in many places, Pritzker said he had gotten out of the bus used on the tour to speak to some of the residents whose homes were damaged.
Durbin said he was pleased that Pritzker had come back to
"He did get to see an outpouring of an amazing community response of people, from the professionals, first responders, right on down to the neighborhood level," Durbin said. "There was a woman who, 10 minutes after the tornado left, her neighbor was over going through the rubble looking for her. That really is the spirit of
That outpouring included a special tornado-recovery resource center at
"I've lived here all my life, and I've never seen people come together like this,"
More than 20 local and state not-for-profit organizations and governmental agencies, as well as electricity provider
Groups present included Missions for
The
"Between the
Disaster relief items are also available for those affected by the
Available items include food, personal hygiene products, infant care, water, cleaning supplies, basic clothing, bedding, tarps, gloves, shovels, rakes, brooms, garbage bags and other additional basic-need items.
Mayor Barry said earlier in the week that monetary donations were being accepted by the city and checks can be sent to city hall, Missions for
Every little bit helps, and the rules for federal assistance after such a storm are stringent, Durbin noted, and it's unlikely
"Qualification for federal funds is extremely limited. The formula is not good for us downstate and in small-town America. We'll do everything we can, and Sen. (Tammy)
Pritzker lauded those local and state efforts he had witnessed already.
"There are homes that are literally obliterated," Pritzker said. "One of the first things I asked was about the people who were affected, who were in their homes. There were three critical injuries. People are recovering, which is great. It's the people we've got to focus on, and of course, the rebuilding. From what I can see, the town has pulled together, the city of
Manar said local government, city and county, must work together to assist the people whose lives were disrupted by the damage visited upon them by the out-of-season storms.
"The rebuilding effort has to be a cooperative effort, and it has to be everyone working together toward the same goal, to rebuild the city," Manar said. "Eventually, cleanup is going to end, and it's going to be time for the state government to step up for the people of
The Springfield State Journal-Register contributed to this story.
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