Tree crashes into Beverly home during severe storm; over 30 reports of damage in the area

CHICAGO - City crews spent hours cleaning up the mess that Mother Nature left behind in Beverly on Monday afternoon, and there is still more work to be done.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, there were more than 30 reports of storm damage in the neighborhood, according to Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th Ward).

Employees with the Department of Streets & Sanitation and the Bureau of Forestry were on the ground – moving from street to street – to remove downed trees and branches.

When the storm rolled through Monday afternoon, it is estimated that wind gusts reached speeds of up to 70 miles per hour in Beverly.

"Obviously as you can tell, there’s still a lot of work to be done and a lot of cleanup to be had," said Nora Marzec, who lives in Beverly.

As strong winds whipped through the area, debris was sent scattered across the neighborhood.  

Near 106th Street and Campbell Avenue, a tree came crashing down and landed on the roof of a home.

"The house itself is over 100 years old," said Marzec.

Marzec's parents bought the bungalow more than 45 years ago. She told FOX 32 Chicago that there have been downed trees near the property before – but never like this.

Clay tiles are now cracked, and windows have been shattered.

Marzec shared that her mom wasn’t home at the time and missed the impact by only a few minutes.

"That’s the most important part is that my mom wasn’t home. I can’t imagine how scary that would have been if she was, the crashing of the glass," said Marzec.

Throughout the neighborhood, storm damage was a familiar sight Monday.

"I had no idea what I was coming home to and did not expect to drive up to see a tree lying across the grass and in the street," said Alycia Scott, who lives in Beverly.

Near 104th Street and Claremont Avenue, neighbors said they heard thunder, lightning, and hail.

"Then I decided to come to the window and saw the whole tree fell on top of someone’s car," said Jasmine Anderson, who lives in Beverly.

Anderson said a man was driving when the downed tree stopped him in his tracks.

"The neighbors responded first, we saw all the commotion that happened outside," said Anderson.

Anderson said the driver was not injured.  

"It was honestly fortunate that the person in the car wasn’t injured or anything like that, he was completely fine, but his car was absolutely smashed," said Anderson.

With more storms on the way Tuesday, 311's website is a good resource to bookmark.

There you can report downed trees or branches. To submit a service request, click on the ‘Parks, Trees and Environment’ tab on the home page, then select ‘Trees,’ and finally click on ‘Tree Debris Clean-Up Request.’