LAKE OF EGYPT, Ill. — People are still recovering from the tornado that hit the area on Memorial Day.
Salvation Army Central Territory Resource Manager Jacob Heiser said the Salvation Army is still working to help those affected.
He said in the beginning, they focused on food and hydration, but now they’ve transitioned to debris management.
They brought in a skid loader, a UTV, and a command center from their territory headquarters.
A significant number of downed trees and debris are blocking access to people’s properties. The Salvation Army is working with the county to get the debris and trees moved and get people back to their homes as soon as possible.
There have been delays in getting work done because the roads they’re working on are not county roads, but private roads. The debris prevents emergency vehicles from accessing them safely.
“So, at this particular point, gravel, culverts, and heavy equipment is definitely lacking here,” Heiser said. “The county isn’t able to come on to a private road.”
Because of the lack of access, the residents need the help of private organizations.
Some of those needs include heavy equipment, such as Bobcats, loaders, skid loaders, and dump trucks, that can remove the items and get them to the county burn site.
Heiser said he finds working and helping the residents very rewarding.
“I have seen good progress here,” he said. “We’ve been able to tackle a couple of big goals, but there’s definitely more work to be done.”
Mark Dismang has lived near the Lake of Egypt for the past 15 years, and Memorial Day was the first time he experienced a tornado.
“I opened the back door, and I said, ‘Babe [his wife], the wind, listen, it’s coming.’ We closed it and ran to the bathroom, and the bathroom floor started shaking. We got there just in time. And then it was like it seemed like it only lasted two minutes, and then it was over,” he said.
Dismang said he didn’t know what he was in for when it was finally safe to go outside.
“You know, and then I thought it couldn’t be that bad. Walked out. and I was like, ‘What?'” he said. It was his RV in his yard, and his life now all over the property.
“The walls are laying on the side right here. And this is everything that was in the garage. And I think this, the garage, kind of saved the house because it took the brunt of it,” he said.
There were several residents in Dismang’s position, still struggling.
The roads were in rough condition, and the debris prevented many people in the area from accessing their homes.
With the progress continuing, though, there’s a lot of joy that comes, but recovery takes time.
“We’re starting to see people work through their emotions,” Heiser said. “We have our home that was standing, you know, that’s the most important thing. And of course, we’re not injured or hurt anyway. So I’m grateful for that,” Dismang said.
The Salvation Army is working with the county emergency management department and the county engineer for the roads and collaborate daily on the issue.
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