Heavy storms with strong winds over 75 mph hit the Aurora area Tuesday morning, causing significant damage in the city of Aurora and in the area, officials said.
Throughout the city, straight-line winds brought down large trees and power lines and pushed debris into the streets, city officials said. The damage caused road blockages, including at a couple of major intersections in Aurora, according to officials.
Roads were either partially or fully blocked at 84 locations across all of Aurora’s 10 wards due to the heavy storms, city officials said. The city received over 200 requests from residents for storm clean-up through the myAurora 311 app.
More Top Picks Best Wireless Security Cameras For Elderly Parents Monitoring
Around 2,300 people lost power in Aurora due to Tuesday’s storms, according to Theodore Van De Sampel, the city’s emergency management coordinator.
Area parks also sustained substantial tree damage and localized flooding, said Tim Wagner, public relations and content strategist for the Fox Valley Park District.
The district’s Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora experienced exterior flooding and storm debris issues, and flooding was also found near the practice green at the Orchard Valley Golf Course in Aurora, Wagner said.
As of mid-afternoon Tuesday, Van De Sampel said the city’s emergency management agency still had roughly 20 work orders to address storm damage on city properties.
Van De Sampel advised residents to be cautious of clean-up crews when driving. He said clean-up to damage and debris on private property or roads is up to that individual property owner.
Heavy storms have hit Aurora multiple times this summer, causing flooding and downing trees, particularly on the West Side of Aurora.
Ald. Carl Franco, 5th Ward, said a large Hawthorne tree fell in his back yard Tuesday, marking the second tree downed by storms in his yard in recent months. He said his ward has been hit hard every time there’s been storms in the area this year, and he hopes the city can continue helping pick up large debris that people gather from their yard and place on the parkway.
In early July, residents across the city and particularly in the 4th and 6th Wards struggled to recover from multiple rounds of flooding in one weekend. Those storms also closed parks and caused the city to reschedule its Independence Day fireworks.
Aurora officials have emphasized throughout the storms this summer that residents can use the myAurora 311 app, available on the App Store and Google Play, or go to www.myaurora311.com, to file a ticket for pick-up of downed branches or limbs placed on the parkway, according to a Facebook post from the city on Friday.