“It’s Not A Matter Of If A Disaster Will Strike … The Only Question Is When”

— Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network

The Kane County Division of Transportation maintenance team assisted in disaster recovery with the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network to provide debris cleanup after severe storms and tornadoes blasted LaSalle County this past week.

National Weather Service Chicago confirmed one fatality Friday, March 3, when a tornado struck in central LaSalle County in and near Naplate and Ottawa, and has since reported at least five tornadoes in the area that day.

Since then, the community has been pummeled again with high winds and storms, including wind gusts as high as 60 mph during thunderstorms on Tuesday, March 7.

Hearing of the need and working in conjunction with other IPWMAN members, KDOT sent three trucks and three personnel to haul debris for Naplate on Monday and Tuesday.

“It’s nice to be able to work together” said Bill Edwards, KDOT maintenance superintendent. “You can share your resources to take on a huge task like this that fortunately doesn’t happen too often. Situations like these are easier to attack together, as a group sharing resources, which would not be practical to attempt as a single entity.”

Founded in 2009, the IPWMAN is an all-hazards, all-disciplines approach to sharing resources between various public works entities in Illinois. Its principal purpose is to provide mutual aid response and recovery assistance to communities confronted with natural or man-made emergencies and disasters. IPWMAN has more than 270 members, including Kane County and 12 Kane County municipalities.

SOURCE: KDOT news release