Cook County pledged $8 million to help south suburban communities clean up from severe storms over the summer.
“This $8 million investment is about making sure our municipalities have the resources and the capacity to recover from this disaster,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle told reporters at a press conference in Oak Forest Tuesday morning. “This is not about moving debris alone. It’s also about helping municipalities restore their communities and move forward.”
Preckwinkle noted the county has helped remove roughly 100,000 cubic yards of debris — enough to fill about 5,700 dump trucks.
The Aug. 11 storms produced tornadoes that left a half-million customers without power in the Chicago area, as tree limbs and downed power lines were scattered throughout the southern suburbs.
“Our commitment to the residents of Cook County does not end when the storm passes,” Preckwinkle said. “We’ll continue until the work of recovery is done.”