Downstate Illinois Cleans Up After Tornadoes Rip Through
LITCHFIELD, Ill. (CBS) -- Snow, rain, hail and umbrella-flipping winds have plagued Chicago in recent days, but all that was tame compared to the weather downstate.
People in several southern Illinois communities are cleaning up after several twisters touched down in on Tuesday.
The tornadoes ripped through fields and farms just to the northeast of the Metro East St. Louis area.
Two strong tornadoes were caught on tape. One was seen ripping through a farm in the downstate town of Carlinville, and the other was seen near Bowling Green, Mo., according to KMOX-AM, St. Louis.
Storm chaser Mike Brady of KDR Media saw one of the tornadoes tearing through a field outside the town of Litchfield just north of the St. Louis Metro area, and close to Interstate 55.
"I've seen a few tornadoes, so I'm over being scared, for the most part. I was just glad that it was over an open field at that point," Brady told CBS 2 Wednesday morning. "Once it got closer to I-55, though, it did impact some houses and there was some damage done. Actually, I-55 was closed for like 10 miles north of Litchfield last night."
A tornado also struck a rural area near the city of Girard, in downstate Macoupin County. A resident, Mark Prose, told St. Louis CBS affiliate KMOV-TV that his house was destroyed by the tornado while he, his wife, and his 6-year-old son huddled in the basement.
The house was destroyed in 15 seconds, and the family had to climb through rubble to get out, KMOV reported.
Another resident, Meagen McLean, told KMOV reporter Mark Schnyder her parents were able to escape their home of 15 years near Girard, but the house itself was demolished by the tornado. The couple had just remodeled their kitchen less than a month ago, KMOV reported.
Dangerous winds were also reported in the Carbondale and Marion areas. In Jackson and Alexander counties in far Southern Illinois, gusts were clocked at 80 to 90 mph, and in Vienna just to the southeast, a spotter reported a gust of 103 mph, Cape Girardeau, Mo., CBS affiliate KFVS-TV reported.
The winds blew over carports in the town of Sesser, and destroyed a machine shed and five grain bins at one southern Illinois farm, KFVS reported.
Thousands of Ameren utility company customers were without power in several Southern Illinois towns, including 5,100 in Centralia, 4,100 in Carbondale, and 4,000 in DuQuoin, KFVS reported.
No deaths or serious injuries were reported as a result of the tornadoes.
