National Weather Service officials say the storm that hit Williamson County Friday night is classified as a EF4, packing winds as high as 190 miles per hour. The upgrade comes after the input of structural engineering experts.
“We are very thankful that there were no fatalities, and I applaud all of our EMA and first responders for their efforts to help residents and assess the damage,” commented Jacobs. “If you have not already done son, you should sign up for the Williamson County emergency alert system called hyper-reach for future notifications.” (Link Here.)
Survey crews say the tornado touched down on Friday, May 16 near the intersection of Spillway Road and Grassy Road, intensifying as it moved east and finally lifted near the intersection of Mauseyville Road and Tyler Bridge Road. Along the way, seven people were injured by the tornado.
The tornado damaged homes near the U.S. Penitentiary, near Highway 37 and in a subdivision east of Andrew Road. The storm also blew a home completely off its foundation, at one point. The NWS reports that the storm was on the ground for a total of 17 minutes and traveled more than 16 miles.
More from KFVS 12 News at this link.
Williamson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) announced (EMA Director Brian Burgess at 618-922-9362) that a volunteer reception center is being set up for those who wish to help with the clean-up in the aftermath of Friday’s storm damage South of Marion.
They are especially looking for those who have chainsaws and other tools that help clear the enormous amount of debris from the tornado. The reception center will be open at 10:00am at the City of Marion Training Center, 211 East Boulevard St. Marion, Illinois.
As always, please contact my office if you have any questions or need help.