Flossmoor community come together to clean up after back-to-back severe storms

The South Suburbs are cleaning up after being hit with back-to-back severe storms.

In Flossmoor, community members say the cleanup is underway, but it is going slowly as generators continue to run and tree limbs litter every street.

Neighbors say this has been the worst storm season in decades and are relying on each other to clean up. 

Storms packed a punch on Tuesday after an EF-1 tornado was confirmed to have touched down near Oak Forest and Flossmoor. This was followed by another round of storms on Wednesday. Both storms occurred during the morning hours.

"It's just been nonstop. You know, it's just ... it's... we're done. It's been enough," said resident Joe Essie.

Wednesday's storms left downed power lines and tree branches in the middle of main roads.

Neighbors like Essie are making sure his family is safe.

"We're getting ready to go to our basement again," he said.

On Mustang Field in Flossmoor Park, poles and trees were left lying on the baseball field. A trampoline was blown onto Flossmoor Road and for neighbors everywhere, the power is once again out.

"It's been wild. We've had campouts in the living room. Lost power three different times," Essie said.

He says neighbors are buying up generators, sick of living without power.

"This is the third time we've been hit in the last six weeks," Essie said.

But are being met with a six- to eight-week wait.

We've seen private tree removal companies working to get branches off of neighbors' lawns. Downtown is dark, where restaurants are shut down without power.

Ann Braunstein lives off of Hutchison Road where branches and stumps line her street as well.

"Trees on houses, trees on cars. Neighbor down the street had the tree go through the roof … just catastrophic," she said.

Braunstein says she hasn't gotten word yet from her power company on when power will be restored, but she says her "bright light" is watching her community come together.

"This community, though, has been nothing but supportive of one another. We have all pitched in to help one another recover as best we can," she said.

Several restaurants are now going on day two without power, even hosting a free barbecue in town to not let their perishable goods go to waste.

No word from ComEd on when the power will be back on.