In Kankakee County, Illinois, authorities have identified the body of a man discovered in a damaged home in Aroma Park days following the onslaught of an EF-3 tornado.
The deceased has been confirmed as 65-year-old Maurice Norington, a veteran of the United States Army, according to his family.
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Angel Merritt, Norington’s sister residing in Chicago, requested a welfare check from the police after the tornado struck the area on Tuesday. Repair crews working nearby ultimately assisted in locating him on Thursday.
“I never imagined losing my brother to a tornado,” Merritt expressed, reflecting on the unexpected tragedy.
The loss has left Norington’s family devastated. Merritt shared that she made numerous attempts to contact her brother after the storm ravaged Kankakee County, but her calls went unanswered.
“I kept calling him relentlessly, every 30 minutes to an hour, over and over,” Merritt recounted.
She says she sent Norington’s friend to go look for him, and that’s when the friend found crews working in the area and asked if they would help search.
“If you have to knock the door down, knock the door down, get in that house and they got in,” Merritt said. “Maurice’s room was here, and there’s an old way here, and that’s where he was laying.”
Her brother’s home near Oakwood and Elwood had a large tree that pierced through the roof. The coroner’s office says Norington had fatal injuries from the storm. Neighbors say he will be deeply missed.
“He’s always sit out on his truck, and you know, just kind of wave to everybody coming by, always cleaning up his leaves and everything. So, I mean, just a really nice guy, and it’s so sad to hear what happened,” said neighbor Tyler Boerschig.
Having grown up in nearby Hopkins Park, Merritt said she and her brother are not strangers to tornadoes, but they had never experienced anything like this.
“I can’t imagine what Maurice was thinking when he hit that floor,” she said. “He’s in that house by himself, no one was around him, no family.”
Merritt said Norington was a proud veteran. He loved the military and family was the most important thing in his life.
This loss in the community comes as Kankakee County continues to clean up and rebuild. Crews could be seen clearing debris and downed trees on Friday.
The Lincoln Cultural Center opened its doors to help feed those who were impacted by the tornado.
Jo Thomas runs Little Light of Mine Child Care Center. She came by to drop off donations and to pick up items for parents in need.
“Some of our parents, you know, it’s a hard time for them, as well. They need diapers and wipes and grabbed some,” Thomas said. “Everybody is working together to make it better.”
The Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office says strong winds hampered some of their efforts on Friday. but they will continue to search through heavily damaged areas.
Crews still have Norington’s street completely shut down while they work to clear all the debris from people’s homes, streets, plus repair the downed power lines.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and neighbors of Mr. Norington,” said Sheriff Mike Downey. “Our law enforcement and other first responders have had an incredibly difficult job to do since Tuesday evening’s devastating storms. I am extremely proud of their efforts up to this point and applaud them for their continued work as we attempt to move forward. I want to remind area residents in the impacted areas to continue to check on your loved ones and neighbors until everyone is completely accounted for.”
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