Monday, June 9, 2008 9:50 PM CDT
Storm rips Coles County: Damage widespread in south of Mattoon
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Consolidated Communications Service Center employee Doug Sowers knows what he saw Friday afternoon.
“I saw what looked to be a small tornado crossing the Pilson lot. You could see the rotation with insulation and other debris flying around,” said Sowers as he took a break from coping with the aftermath of the storm that hit Mattoon about 4:30 p.m.
As Sowers and others sought cover the tornado slammed into the southwest corner of the service center building on the south side of the city. None of the 35 Consolidated employees were injured, said spokeswoman Laura Zuhone and there was minimal effect on the phone company’s network. But the sound of the impact left an impression on employees.
“When it hit it sounded like the whole building was breathing,” Sowers said.
Moments before Sowers saw a small tornado, Pilson Auto Center detail department Manager Ben Slater saw some real-life special effects on the dealership lot near Lake Land Boulevard.
“We had 14 used vehicles damaged, mostly broken glass. But the Toby Keith sign across the road T-boned a Chevy Cobalt on our lot. There was debris flying all over. There were big booms when things were hit or signs were going down,” said Slater.
North of Pilson’s, Neal Tire manager Mike Smith ran out to close a door on a storage section on the east end of the business. Then he realized something was wrong.
“There was just a lot of wind blowing. I covered my head and started running,” Smith said.
High winds collapsed the concrete block wall of the building as Smith was pelted with some flying debris.
The storm ravaged the Kirchner Lumber lot, the roof of Central Illinois Transmission and some large windows of Bill Rasmussen Chevrolet on Lake Land Boulevard.
It is back to the drawing board for part of the construction at the Lake Land College West Building, said Lake Land Vice President of Business Services Ray Rieck.
“Two walls fell completely for the new ag lab at the West Building. We’ll try to make it up in the schedule. This will put us back several weeks on the work,” said Rieck.
No one was in the college buildings when the storm struck Friday afternoon, Rieck said. That luck seemed to hold out for the rest of the community.
“We have some areas of town without electricity, but no reports of injuries,” said Mattoon Police Captain Eric Finley. “We’ve had downed trees and power lines in town.”
At 7:30 p.m., Ameren listed more than 4,300 customers without power in Mattoon, Charleston, Lerna, Strasburg, Stewardson, Kansas, Gandview and Paris.
The list of damaged structures shows the wake of the storm on Friday afternoon: McDonald’s on South Route 45, RP Lumber, and Arland Williams Elementary School.
Charleston Street Superintendent Quincy Combs said downed trees blocked Cleveland Avenue and 12th Street, E Street and West Madison Avenue, and Pierce Avenue and Third Street early Friday evening. He said a downed parking light pole also blocked a section of E Street.
Combs said city crews were out clearing this debris. He said city streets did not fare too badly, but private properties looked to have taken the brunt of the storm.
“I have see places where pretty good sized trees were into houses,” Combs said.
Power was knocked out on Eastern Illinois University’s campus in Charleston.
Tornado sirens sounded in Charleston and Mattoon due to information on the rotation of winds in the thunderstorm provided by the National Weather Service, ESDA Director Tom Watson said.
Charleston Street Superintendent Quincy Combs said downed trees blocked intersections at Cleveland Avenue and 12th Street, E Street and West Madison Avenue, and Pierce Avenue and Third Street early Friday evening. He said a downed light pole also blocked a section of E Street.
Gary Cox, who lives on Old State Road near Coles County Memorial Airport, had to cut his way through fallen trees and branches at his home.
“The wind picked up and I heard cracking and popping outside. Then as the trees would bend over you’d hear a big bam,” Cox said of the assault on the old oaks and hickories on his property.
Adding to traffic problems was the temporary closure of Interstate 57 near Mattoon due to a vehicle accident. Traffic was diverted through Mattoon for a time Friday.
Today, Mattoon Public Works Department employees will start up the chainsaws.
“We’ll have a crew out to get the walks and boulevards cleared. Then on Monday, we’ll be picking up more storm debris in the city,” said Public Works Director Dave Wortman.
Staff Writer Rob Stroud contributed to this story.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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HeinekenMan wrote on Jun 6, 2008 11:23 PM: