Coal City One Year After the Tornado

Bernie Burla drives a tractor past a damaged grain silo on his family farm Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Coal City, Ill., after a tornado passed through the Coal City area Monday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed a twister touched down in the community of approximately 5,000 residents, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago.
Bernie Burla drives a tractor past a damaged grain silo on his family farm Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Coal City, Ill., after a tornado passed through the Coal City area Monday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed a twister touched down in the community of approximately 5,000 residents, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Bernie Burla drives a tractor past a damaged grain silo on his family farm Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Coal City, Ill., after a tornado passed through the Coal City area Monday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed a twister touched down in the community of approximately 5,000 residents, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
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Bernie Burla drives a tractor past a damaged grain silo on his family farm Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Coal City, Ill., after a tornado passed through the Coal City area Monday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed a twister touched down in the community of approximately 5,000 residents, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago.
Bernie Burla drives a tractor past a damaged grain silo on his family farm Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Coal City, Ill., after a tornado passed through the Coal City area Monday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed a twister touched down in the community of approximately 5,000 residents, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
Bernie Burla drives a tractor past a damaged grain silo on his family farm Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Coal City, Ill., after a tornado passed through the Coal City area Monday evening. The National Weather Service confirmed a twister touched down in the community of approximately 5,000 residents, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
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Coal City One Year After the Tornado

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It was one year ago that a “super cell thunderstorm” tore through the small Illinois town of Coal City. The morning after the storms, we spoke to Glenn Root, who had taken shelter in his basement with his family that night. He joined Morning Shift again to share how the city is working to rebuild, one year later.

A photo of Glenn Root, taken last year. (Yolanda Perdomo/WBEZ)

He said the process is “going better than expected,” but the damage is still visible. He estimates that about 30 families “just walked away from their house, totally, and just left it there.”

“In a couple subdivisions … a year later you still see the windows blown out and tarps on roofs and stuff like that,” he said.

Root had just moved to Coal City from Chicago when the tornado hit but says the storms haven’t hampered his love for his new home.

“The people are real giving out here,” he said. “It’s a great place to live.”

Hear more from our conversation with Root by clicking play above. See photos of the damage and listen our report from a year ago here.