Violent, deadly weather strikes region

Violent, deadly weather swept through the Southern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and Western Kentucky region early Wednesday morning, Feb. 29.

The stormy weather was reported to have claimed 10 lives in the Harrisburg area. Widespread damage and power outages also were reported. Hundreds of utility customers were without electric service as of early Wednesday morning.

The website for WSIL television reported Wednesday morning that "the southeast portion of Harrisburg experienced major damage."

The Union County Sheriff's Office in Jonesboro reported early Wednesday morning that damage had occurred in the Wolf Lake, Alto Pass and Cobden areas. No injuries were reported in Union County.

The sheriff's office reported there were numerous downed power lines and tree limbs in Union County. A tree was reported to have fallen on a house in the Union Springs Road area north of Cobden.

Union County Sheriff David Livesay said late Wednesday morning that extensive damage was reported at farms along the Galilee Road area north of Wolf Lake.

Grain bins and storage barns were damaged by the storm.

The sheriff said it appears that a tornado may have struck the Galilee Road area. The storm left a path of destruction that was about a quarter of a mile wide.

The sheriff lives near Wolf Lake. He said he was awakened by the "roaring" of the storm early Wednesday morning.

The sheriff said that a lot of structural damage also was reported in the Alto Pass area.

Livesay, four sheriff's office deputies and an Illinois Department of Natural Resources conservation officer went on duty immediately after the storm struck.

The Anna Fire Department sent a crew of six to Harrisburg Wednesday morning to help with rescue efforts.

The Union County Sheriff's Office also may provide assistant to officials in Saline County.

Cobden and Dongola schools were not in session Wednesday due to power outages.

Tornado warning sirens were sounded in area communities at about 3:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. Wednesday as stormy weather moved into the region.

During the day on Tuesday, the website for the National Weather Service, NWS, at Paducah reported that a warm front would be moving north through the area in the evening hours.

The forecast indicated that widespread showers and thunderstorms were expected to develop over Southeast Missouri around 9 p.m. and then spread east northeast across the entire area into the overnight hours.

NWS indicated that severe storms would be possible Tuesday night, with damaging winds and large hail the main threats.

The stormy weather knocked out power to about 600 customers of the Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative. Many of those customers were in northern Union County. Scattered outages also were reported in Alexander, Johnon and Pulaski counties.

Ameren Illinois reported that severe weather including a reported tornado left downed wires, broken utility poles and many customers without power Wednesday morning, creating safety hazards in portions of Southern Illinois.

Ameren Illinois officials issued a safety warning to all residents in the impacted areas to be on alert for downed electrical wires.

Residents were warned to stay away from downed wires, brush, downed trees and limbs and any debris that may conceal downed power lines.

Ameren Illinois has dispatched field personnel to assess damage and restore service as quickly as possible.

Approximately 12,000 Southern Illinois customers were without electrical service at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

In addition to broken utility poles and downed wires, there were downed tree limbs and trees, damaged buildings and debris as well as blocked streets in impacted areas.

The hardest hit areas include Saline County with 6,530 customers without service, Gallatin County with 2,460 customers, Pulaski County with 1,240 customers and Union County with 1,260 customers.

The Ameren Illinois website showed that as of 9:10 a.m. Wednesday, 875 customers were still without power in Union County.