At Least 2 Darien Areas Hit Hard In Storm

DARIEN, IL – In the wake of Sunday night’s storm, families picked up branches as the constant sound of wood chippers could be heard in at least two Darien neighborhoods Monday morning.

The National Weather Service reported that a tornado touched down in Darien shortly after 11 p.m. Sunday. Residents on Woodmere Drive blamed the twister for the damage on their street. Part of an exterior wall of a townhome was ripped off, with a closet full of clothes exposed. The building’s structure appeared intact.

The other affected neighborhoods included Golfview, Lakeview and Pinehurst Drives. Crews from Darien and DuPage County were seen helping with the cleanup effort, using wood chippers.

Sam Bates lives on Windsor Court, which extends from Woodmere Drive. She said she was in her room when she heard what she thought may be a tornado.

“It kept getting louder and louder,” Bates said in an interview. “I went into the basement. When I got to the basement, I had a lot of pressure in my ears, like when you’re in an airplane.”

The power went out in the neighborhood and remained out as of late Monday morning.

Woodmere resident Lyn Coscarelli said she heard a train-like sound, which is often what a tornado sounds like. She has lived in the subdivision since it opened in 1997. She remembers when the neighborhood’s trees were small.

“Finally, we get shade, and now the trees are gone,” Coscarelli said.

Another resident, Maribeth Fencl, said she was sleeping when the storm hit. The homes in the subdivision all are connected to an emergency alert system, she said.

“That’s what woke me up,” Fencl said. “I thought it was a bomb.”

She said Darien police were going door to door checking to see if residents were all right.

“The Darien police were fantastic,” Fencl said.

In an interview, City Administrator Bryon Vana said the city received no reports of injuries as a result of the storm.

Along Lemont Road, which intersects with Woodmere, the storm knocked down poles and tangled wires.

Meanwhile, some residents without power went to Darien's Indian Prairie Public Library on Monday so that they could get Wi-Fi.

The wall of a townhome was partially torn off during a storm late Sunday night. (David Giuliani/Patch)