Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Elected officials urge federal aid after back-to-back storms pummel south suburbs

nbcchicago.com · 9h · first reportShare

Mayors and leaders in the south suburbs are seeking federal assistance as the massive cleanup continues from last week’s tornadoes and destructive storms. Multiple community leaders said the damage is way too much to handle on their own. Across the south suburbs, homes were damaged, trees were destroyed and power lines were knocked down. “I wouldn’t be standing here today with clean clothes on and stuff without them helping me,” Volanda Merrill said. Volanda Merrill has received help from her neighbors, but now she wants to see the federal government step in. “I’m a tax-paying citizen… and I won’t tolerate being neglected like this,” Merrill said. Much of the south suburbs was not just hit once, but twice by two separate storms. First in July, then last week. So just when they started feeling better and getting things cleaned up, another storm struck. Multiple residents and elected officials said they can’t handle the magnitude of the damage and that’s why they are calling for federal