Naperville tornado victims frustrated by slow insurance, unfinished repairs 6 months later

Rob Elgas Image
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
6 months after Naperville tornado, repairs remain unfinished
The Naperville tornado ripped a path of destruction exactly six months ago and with Christmas almost here, repairs remain unfinished.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- It's been exactly six months since a tornado ripped through Naperville, and work to repair the damage remains unfinished.

Temporary repairs are in place, but windows are still broken. It's five days before Christmas, and tornado damage from this summer is still visible.

READ MORE: Naperville residents share harrowing tornado stories

The twister chewed up many homes, destroying some and forcing people to relocate. The debris have been cleaned up, but problems persist.

"We've never been through this before, so we needed to get, hopefully, some expert help," said Katie Long Piper, resident.

Monday night a needs assessment open house put together by the Naperville Long Term Recovery Group brought together city leaders and volunteers trying to assess unfinished work and provide guidance for frustrated home owners with slow-to-respond insurance companies.

RELATED: Amazon driver recalls surviving Edwardsville tornado

"We have six homeowners that can't get satisfaction with their insurance company," said Sandra Wilhoit, who came to Naperville from unincorporated Downers Grove for help.

Even as progress is made in the Chicago suburbs, many affected by the summer tornado were reminded of nature's fury in Mayfield, Kentucky.

"Looking at Kentucky, we're just lucky that that wasn't what happened here. No one died, you know. No one died," said Brandon Piper, resident.

READ MORE: Tornado-slammed parts of Kentucky face long recovery

While they are still frustrated, the people affected by the Naperville tornado six months ago remain grateful things did not go so much worse.