WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. – Four families in Washington Park are displaced after strong weekend weather left their apartment building condemned.
A tree that neighbors say was strong—and never caused problems before—came crashing down.
“I was sitting in the living room getting ready for work. The wind was blowing high, rain was pouring down, and then all I heard was this big boom,” recounted Latosha Howard.
That boom was the sound of a tree crashing into this four-unit apartment building in Washington Park, collapsing the porch and trapping families inside.
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According to the National Weather Service, winds reached at least 40 miles per hour Saturday afternoon. The wind was strong enough to bring down trees that neighbors say had never caused problems before.
Howard says city crews had to rescue her that day.
“I jumped up; it was ridiculous. I was trapped, beating on windows and doors. It was scary,” Howard told FOX 2.
Debris covered the windows, leaving just one way in and out. Now, the only way back inside her apartment is by climbing this ladder through a window.
“They’re asking us to move, but we don’t have any steps to move. I can’t move my furniture, can’t do anything,” Howard said.
For now, residents are salvaging what they can, waiting on insurance adjusters and leaning on neighbors for support.
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