A tornado that tore through Homewood, Illinois, on July 27 left more than fallen trees behind. By July 31, some residents were still without electricity as utility crews worked through some of the hardest-to-reach damage.
Even as power was restored across much of the region, a few neighborhoods along the tornado's path were still waiting for lights, air conditioning, and household appliances to come back online.
What happened?
By the end of Friday, July 31, outages in Homewood had narrowed to a few scattered areas, according to the HF Chronicle. The biggest cluster was in Governors Park, west of Dixie Highway, where more than 200 customers still lacked service, while a smaller number of homes near Cedar Road in Old Homewood were also affected.
Most of the remaining outages were in the parts of north Homewood hit by the July 27 tornado, with only a few exceptions. In Governors Park, the largest unresolved outage fell to 19 customers by the morning of August 1, but by that afternoon, the ComEd outage map showed the number climbing back above 250.
The July 27 storm had cut electricity to more than 530,000 customers across the region, and by the morning of August 1, fewer than 6,000 customers were still waiting for service.
Peaches Power owner Joseph Peachy, whose organization is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, told the HF Chronicle his crews were repairing lines located in backyards. Those jobs take longer because large lift trucks can't easily reach those areas.
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Why does it matter?
Losing power can lead to spoiled refrigerated food, dangerously hot or cold indoor temperatures, and no way to charge phones or run medical devices. Each extra day without electricity can add stress and expenses for families already coping with storm damage.
Homewood's situation reflects a common challenge after severe storms: the hardest repairs are often the last to finish. Backyard damage can slow restoration, especially where heavy equipment can't easily reach the lines.
In some cases, the problem is not limited to utility infrastructure. Homeowners may also need to repair their own electrical equipment before service can be safely restored.
What's being done?
ComEd brought in outside utility crews to speed up recovery, with trucks deployed throughout the area as restoration work intensified. That added workforce appeared to help drive down the regional outage total by the morning of August 1, even as a few stubborn trouble spots remained in Homewood.
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Peachy's company was among the outside crews assisting with the response. On July 31, several of its trucks were positioned in the parking lot at St. John Neumann Catholic School in Homewood for the difficult repair work still underway after the tornado.
Homeowners are responsible for equipment between the weather head and meter box, so repairs there may be needed before crews can reconnect service.
That distinction helps explain why one neighbor's power returns before another's and why service may not be restored until home electrical repairs are finished.
Despite major progress, restoration remained slower in the hardest-hit parts of Homewood, where crews faced backyard lines that big lift trucks could not reach.
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