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Storm leaves downed trees, property damage, power outages in Park Ridge
Winds from a July 1 storm likely caused this parkway tree on the 1400 block of Grove Avenue to fall on top of a car parked on the street. | Contributed photo
Updated: August 23, 2012 9:55AM
PARK RIDGE — An afternoon storm July 1 knocked out power to some Park Ridge customers and caused property damage due to falling trees.
About 1,000 customers lost power, some for as long as six hours, after the fast-moving storm rolled through town, said Park Ridge Public Works Director Wayne Zingsheim.
“The south side (of Park Ridge) caught more of it than the north,” Zingsheim explained.
The Park Ridge Fire Department also responded to calls of two fallen trees. A backyard tree fell on a house on the 300 block of South Knight Avenue, causing damage to the roof and upstairs bedrooms when large branches penetrated the structure, said Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Sorensen. A parkway tree also fell across a Lexus parked on the 1400 block of Grove Avenue.
“I was completely shocked, to say the least,” said owner Christine Langlands, who returned home to find her car covered in branches.
Langlands said branches in the tree, located in front of a neighbor’s home, were being supported by cables installed by the city. Langlands believes the cables snapped during the storm and caused the branches to fall on top of her car, which she said is no longer drivable.
Zingsheim said Public Works crews have identified about 40 tree-related issues caused by the storm, and the removal of four damaged parkway trees was planned.
The storm also caused power lines to fall near the intersection of Washington Avenue and Higgins Road, and in the back yard of a home on the 1200 block of Potter Road, Sorensen said.
That same day five Park Ridge firefighter/paramedics responded to a call from the village of Northlake to assist in the evacuation of a high-rise retirement home. Several suburban fire departments assisted in the evacuation, helping residents out of the 15-story building, which was left without power and a backup generator following the storm.
