Homes Damaged, Trees Down, But Pool, Camps Open

Rey Delacruz walked to the corner of Merrill and Monroe in Niles Wednesday morning to chat with neighbors comparing notes on Tuesday night's storm damage. 

Delacruz' home had been hit the worst--a falling tree knocked off the metal awning in front. Niles Public Services was on the block, which was littered with fallen branches.

Delacruz had been watching television with his wife Tuesday night when lightning and thunder struck. He got up and noticed the awning was gone.

"I called to my wife and said 'there's nothing here,'" he recounted.

Throughout Niles and Park Ridge, cars backed up at intersections without traffic signals due to the , and tree branches were scattered across lawns, sidewalks and streets. 

Joe LoVerde, executive director of the Niles Park District, said he started surveying the damage at 5 a.m. Wednesday, and, between power outages and scattered debris, only two facilities were able to open: 's waterpark and r, which contains a gym and health club facility.

At about 10 a.m. Wednesday, LoVerde said the district was trying to locate manual devices to swipe credit cards at Oasis, since the electronic devices could not function without power. 

Summer camps are operating, LoVerde said. However, Park Ridge-Niles Elementary School District 64 cancelled classes for its Worlds of Wonder summer school program.

LoVerde expected to open midday, once fallen branches could be cleared. 

"Mother Nature hasn't been kind this year, between the rains and this," he remarked.