Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has issued a disaster proclamation for several counties in the state that suffered tornado damage on Friday, allowing affected communities to more easily access state resources.
The proclamation, which went into effect Saturday, covers five counties, including DuPage County, which saw multiple structures damaged in the town of Addison, according to the governor’s office.
Also included are Boone County, where one person was killed and 48 others injured when a theater roof collapsed in the tornado’s path, and Crawford County, where three people were killed when a house collapsed, authorities said. Additionally, around 30 other structures were damaged in the mentioned counties. The proclamation also covers Sangamon County in central Illinois and Marion County in southern Illinois.
The disaster proclamation will support local government response and recovery operations whenever necessary, Pritzker’s office said in a news release. The proclamation could be updated to include other counties.
The damage assessment took place Saturday, a day after severe storms and multiple tornadoes tore through different parts of the state, destroying buildings, toppling trees and downing power lines.