Re: [ST] Big Winds

[gkeslin@xxxxxxxxxxx]

We had an F4 rip through several towns here (I live near Joliet, IL) back in August of '90.  28 people were killed and it was a mess!  Our public high school was leveled along with the catholic church and its attached grade school.  I can't remember the number of homes, appt buildings, and businesses that were destroyed.  It hit the day before school opened so a lot of us were lucky!  My oldest daughter was scheduled to start her freshman year then and would have been in school.  One of her friends was in the school for volley ball practice when the tornado hit and she's now petrified everytime there's a severe storm.  My daughter's summer vacation got extended a few weeks while the school board figured out what to do.  IIRC it was two years before the "new" high school was finished and ready to open.

The high school also suffered damage in another tornado in '85 but it wasn't leveled that time.

The damage shown on TV doesn't really depict the reality of it.  It's something you need to see in person to fully understand.  I'm not encouraging people to visit these areas by any means!  Believe me when I say that it was GREAT to have people come out and help but the extra traffic, etc brought in by those just wanting to "see" the damage can tried the locals nerves and patience.  Especially the news media where they like to stick a microphone and camera in everybody's face.

I hope to never have one rip through here again!

George

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "David Gilmore" <dgilmore@xxxxxxxxxxx> 

> > Anyone on the list from Missouri or Illinois? 
> > 
> > We're just seeing news reports of yet another big wind to flatten a 
> > community. 
> > 
> We're from Illinois - it hit about 30 miles north of us, and we rode through 
> the area today to see what it looked like. It's really amazing what 
> devastation wind can cause - where there used to be houses, there were just 
> piles of sticks. It also took a brick house apart, brick by brick, it 
> looked like. Huge trees and telephone poles were snapped in two like 
> toothpicks. It's great fun living in "tornado alley", right on top of the 
> New Madrid fault. 
> So far, so good, tho, 
> Dave 
> 
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