IL

Storm restoration across Will County

Will County sits at the heart of the Chicago metro's severe weather corridor, where warm Gulf air collides with cold fronts tracking across the Great Plains. The county has recorded more significant tornadoes per square mile than most of the Chicago region and was the site of the only F5 tornado ever to strike the Chicago area, the August 28, 1990 Plainfield tornado that killed 29 people and caused $165 million in damage along a 16-mile path through Plainfield, Crest Hill, and Joliet. Spring and early summer bring frequent hailstorms capable of producing baseball-sized or larger hail, straight-line wind events, and periodic derechos, with the NWS Chicago region averaging 10 to 15 days per year with hail of one inch or larger; the July 2024 derecho was among the most damaging in recent memory across Will County suburbs. Heavy rainfall events regularly overwhelm aging combined sewer systems throughout the county, causing widespread basement sewer backups and sump pump failures in Joliet, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and surrounding communities - a chronic risk that standard homeowners insurance does not cover without specific endorsements.