Gov.-elect Pritzker visits Taylorville, lauds ‘neighbor helping neighbor’ week after tornado

Dec. 09--TAYLORVILLE -- One week after a tornado ripped through Taylorville, as residents continued the arduous task of cleaning up and rebuilding their lives, Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker toured the area, offering sympathy for those affected, thanks to volunteers and emergency responders and an affirmation the state would help the town of about 11,000 people continue to regain its footing.

"Thank you to all the emergency management personnel, to the mayor and to the (fire) chief and everybody that's doing recovery here in Taylorville," Pritzker said. "Taylorville people have been out and volunteering and helping their neighbors in a way that I haven't seen for quite some time. It's just tremendous the volunteer activity that's going on, neighbor helping neighbor, and I'm really proud to be an Illinoisan."

Democrats Pritzker and Lt. Gov.-elect Juliana Stratton were beginning a three-day statewide tour to thank voters and volunteers for their support in last month's election in which Pritzker defeated first-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. The pair visited Peoria earlier Saturday and after Taylorville stopped in Decatur at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Hall, where he met with Macon County Democrats.

The Dec. 1 storm set a record for the largest tornado outbreak during December in Illinois history with 27 tornadoes, the National Weather Service reported. Additional severe storm surveys could increase that number. Three were in Christian County, with one rated at EF-3 and having estimated wind speeds of 150 to 155 mph, making it the strongest one on record. It went for 11 miles at half-mile long at its widest, officials said.

Rauner saw the damage for himself last Sunday afternoon as displaced families found help at a designated shelter set up with the American Red Cross at Crossroads Apostolic Ministries. On Monday, Rauner declared Christian County a state disaster area to begin the process of bringing aid for the recovery.

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 (Jan. 14), we're going to continue the recovery efforts for Taylorville and stand up for the families here," Pritzker said.

Pritzker was joined by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, and began Saturday's stop in Taylorville at the fire department. They were taken on a tour of the devastated area by firefighters and Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry.

Photographs and video earlier in the week from Taylorville showed several houses flattened, with residents wading into debris to salvage what they could. Some homes remained standing, but with gaping holes in the roofs or with no roofs at all.

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 Central Illinois, though he wished the circumstances were different.

"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 Central Illinois, the spirit of our state, and we sure saw a lot of it today."

That outpouring included a special tornado-recovery resource center at Taylorville Christian Church. The "Multi-Agency Resource Center" helped more than 180 people from 94 households. by the time it closed at 7 p.m. Friday, according to Scott Clarke, the American Red Cross' Springfield-based state emergency management liaison. It was also open Saturday.

"I've lived here all my life, and I've never seen people come together like this," Valerie Streenz, a home health-care provider, told The State Journal-Register on Friday. "The number of people coming together, it's amazing."

More than 20 local and state not-for-profit organizations and governmental agencies, as well as electricity provider Ameren Illinois, staffed tables on Friday as people affected by the tornado visited while accompanied by Red Cross "ambassadors" who assisted.

Groups present included Missions for Taylorville -- the only group so far offering potential grants for people without homeowners' insurance -- as well as the American Baptist Men Disaster Relief Team, Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief, Illinois Attorney General's Office and the Illinois departments of insurance and human services.

The Red Cross also conducted in-depth discussions with people to determine what Red Cross services might be available to them, Clarke said. The event brought together about 150 Red Cross volunteers and representatives from the variety of groups staffing the event. Services provided included help with clothes, food, medical supplies, eyeglasses and cleaning supplies.

"Between the Red Cross and the other agencies, I think we addressed a lot of needs," Clarke said.

Disaster relief items are also available for those affected by the Dec. 1 storms from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day until further notice at the city-owned warehouse, also known as the former Gagne Warehouse, 1617 W. Spresser St., across from the Christian County Fairgrounds.

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 Taylorville, 115 N. Main St., Attn. City Clerk, Taylorville IL 62568. U.S. Bank branches can also accept donations for the city.

Every little bit helps, and the rules for federal assistance after such a storm are stringent, Durbin noted, and it's unlikely Taylorville will receive much, if any, help from that quarter.

"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) Duckworth said the same thing yesterday (during her visit)," Durbin said. "We'll work with the House delegation and many others, but this is primarily a state and local response. We'll do everything we can to make sure there are no federal obstacles to that."

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 Taylorville, and the mayor and the leadership here has done a tremendous job, but there's more to be done."

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 Taylorville, and I intend to make that happen when we come back to session in January."

The Springfield State Journal-Register contributed to this story.

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PHOTOS: Taylorville cleans up after destructive tornado

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

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