A total of 260 trees have been planted in the most severely impacted area since the storm

The City of Naperville was awarded a $15,000 grant in January 2022 to rebuild the area that was severely damaged during the EF-3 tornado that touched down in Naperville on June 20, 2021. The funds were provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Urban and Community Forestry Partner Grant Program and administered by The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI).

As a result of the June 20 storm, 240 parkway trees were removed. Following the tornado, the City Council approved replanting the trees in the hardest hit area within one year at no cost to the residents. This grant was requested to assist in funding the tree planting in this area and covered the planting of 50 trees. “Naperville residents showed enormous courage and resilience the days and weeks after the storm,” said Director of Public Works Dick Dublinski. “We’re grateful this grant gave us the opportunity to restore some normalcy in the hardest hit area by regaining the tree canopy that was lost during the tornado.” As of summer 2022, a total of 260 new trees have been planted in the area. Newly planted trees are native species and will be monitored by the City for the next two years as part of the grant requirement.

For more information about the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us.