Cary extends emergency declaration as crews, ComEd and mutual‑aid teams clear storm damage

Village of Cary officials on Aug. 19 extended an emergency declaration tied to a sudden storm that dropped trees and power lines across the village, while local staff and mutual‑aid crews continued clearing streets and coordinating restoration.

Mayor Mark Kownick said the storm struck around 4 a.m. and the village declared a state of emergency quickly afterward to speed response. "We came quickly together and our fire protection district…we were able to to nail this," he said, thanking staff and neighboring municipalities for rapid assistance.

The emergency declaration extension — requested so the village can make purchases above $25,000 without returning to the board during the recovery — was presented to trustees and approved by roll call. The extension covers continuing cleanup and is set to run through Sept. 2.

Village Administrator Eric Morimoto said the response involved public works, police and the fire protection district and highlighted a broader mutual‑aid response. "Lake in the Hills showed up without us even asking before we put out this IPW MAN alert. They showed up and they were ready to work," Morimoto said, naming multiple neighboring jurisdictions that sent crews.

ComEd outages initially affected an estimated 5,000 Cary customers — about three‑quarters of the village’s accounts — and the utility restored most customers by Sunday evening and all customers by Monday, officials said. Morimoto said ComEd established a mobile command at Cary Lake to support repairs.

Public works staff said crews have been collecting large storm debris from roadways since the weekend and will run a special brush collection beginning Monday, Aug. 25, for storm‑related tree damage. Residents were asked to place limbs at the parkway with cut ends facing the street by 6 a.m. to allow chipper trucks to process material.

The village also is working with McHenry County Emergency Management on a voluntary damage survey that runs through Friday; officials said the state aggregates county damage estimates and a $25 million statewide threshold could unlock federal assistance, low‑interest loans or other aid. Morimoto emphasized that any per‑property estimates or photos submitted by residents will be aggregated for the county and state.

Trustees and staff urged residents to contact their insurers first for repair direction, to obtain contractor references from insurers, and to take photos of damage for insurance and survey purposes. Director Noonan (Public Works Director) reminded residents that the special brush pickup is for storm‑related tree damage only.

Officials said permitting requirements remain in effect for repair work: many roof and siding repairs require building permits and licensed contractors; community development staff can advise homeowners about permit needs and licensing requirements.

Action and next steps: trustees approved the extension of Mayor Kownick’s emergency executive order (roll call vote recorded as unanimous). Crews will continue right‑of‑way cleanup this week and run the special brush collection beginning Aug. 25; the county survey remains open through Friday to collect damage estimates for possible state or federal assistance.

Quotes in this story are taken from remarks at the Aug. 19 Cary Village Board meeting.

Ending — What to expect next: Residents with storm damage should file insurance claims, complete the county survey if possible, and call the village for permit questions or to report storm‑related debris blocking streets or sidewalks. The village will continue coordinating mutual aid and will update timelines for any further service or procurement actions if the emergency extension is extended or modified.