Without Government Aid, Recovery From April Tornado Slow In Fairdale
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Six months later, the Dekalb County town of Fairdale is still struggling to recover from April's devastating tornado.
The EF-4 tornado that hit Fairdale on April 9 has been described as the area's greatest natural disaster in generations.
Two women were killed, 21 homes were obliterated, and 30 other homes suffered varying degrees of damage.
Bill Nicklas, president of the Fairdale recovery committee, said new foundations are going in, and some homeowners are rebuilding. He called the progress "heartening," but said the emotional scars will take longer to heal.
"Some people are just having nightmares. Other people are feeling lost, bewildered still, and probably will for a while," he said.
There has been no government aid to help cover the nearly $10 million in property damage, nearly a third of that consisting of uninsured losses, so the recovery team has been raising private money to help hard-pressed homeowners.