Fairdale Had Similar Tornado To Ottawa-Naplate Area, And Recovered
FAIRDALE, Ill. (CBS) -- People in the Ottawa-Naplate area have a lot of work ahead as they try to recover from this week's Level 3 tornado. But they could take some tips from a township that dealt with a similar disaster two years ago.
WBBM's Bernie Tafoya reports.
The village of Fairdale in DeKalb County had a similar tornado in April 2015. Two people were killed by the stronger EF-4 and dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed.
Bill Nicklas was part of the recovery committee after the Fairdale tornado. He said it disbanded about a month ago because the group reached its goals. Nicklas also admitted the process was time-consuming.
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"Some of us basically gave our full attention to the recovery process. Our recovery committees rented a trailer, so we were on site every day," he said.
The Fairdale group raised two million dollars for its efforts. It helped restore septic fields, create new wells and improve roads.
Nicklas said his most important piece of advice was to communicate regularly with affected people.
