Gov. Pritzker tours damage around Kankakee, Aroma Park

IL Gov. JB Pritzker visited Aroma Park after tornado rips through

Governor Pritzker tours the damage on the Illinois side offering kind words to those just starting the road to recovery. Illinois will request federal funds to cover damages.

KANKAKEE COUNTY - Two days after the National Weather Service confirmed an EF-3 tornado hit Kankakee, Governor J.B. Pritzker toured the damage in Aroma Park.

What we know:

On Thursday, Pritzker toured a neighborhood located at Norman and Strasma North. While ComEd crews worked throughout the day trying to restore power, the governor said the goal was to have everyone's power back on by Thursday night. 

After meeting with county and state officials, Pritzker said they determined there are 460 properties around the Kankakee area that are damaged, including 30 homes that are a total loss.

The tornado was part of a severe storm system that moved through the Chicago area and into parts of northwest Indiana, prompting numerous watches and warnings. The tornado also moved into Newton County, Indiana.

The NWS reports the tornado touched down about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and was on the ground on the north side of Hopkins Park. The storm also brought heavy rainfall, strong wind, and softball-sized hail.

The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office said the tornado touched down south of Kankakee near the Kankakee Fairgrounds and continued northeast, crossing the Kankakee River into Aroma Park.

"I've directed my teams to provide the full assistance of the state of Illinois, to the people of this region in all response and recovery efforts," said Pritzker.

We asked the governor how much money could potentially be available to the impacted communities, including the possibility for federal disaster money. Pritzker said it starts with a state assessment of the damage, then making sure affected residents have shelter immediately, and then they can determine how many community resources and infrastructure will be impacted.

"I can't put a number for you, because we don't have that assessment yet," said Pritzker. "You asked about the federal government, what comes before the federal assistance is the assessment, then we go to the federal government to FEMA and show them what the damage is, and if it meets a threshold then FEMA considers what they're going to provide resources from the federal government. We expect that they would and they should. I can tell by just looking around this looks like a circumstance where federal resources will be triggered and should come to this community."

Fox Chicago spoke with Brandon Tomblin, who lost his garage, part of his kitchen and his roof from Tuesday's tornado. He told us he was ready to ride out the storm at home, until his wife and father convinced him to leave with his 8-year-old son. 

Tomblin said five minutes after he left, the tornado hit their home, where he's lived for the last 40 years.

"Above the garage was my attic. My attic totally lifted up, went over to the neighbor's front yard, and in that attic was all of my sentimental kids' stuff when they were baptized and born," said Tomblin.

He told us his insurance is going to cover his damages, and the family plans to rebuild their home in the same spot. Months ago, Tomblin said he had finished remodeling his kitchen. We saw new doors still in the packaging that were partially damaged during Tuesday's tornado.

What's next:

Illinois state officials told Fox Chicago they don't know the exact dollar amount for the total damage to the area. However, Pritzker said his office will be requesting federal relief money from FEMA. 

But state officials did not give a timeline of when they will apply, or when they expect to hear back from federal officials.