Montgomery County cleans up from storm damage

NOKOMIS — Severe thunderstorms and straight-line winds made for a rough evening earlier this week. The storms struck the panhandle and eastern regions of Montgomery County on Sunday, leaving considerable damage in their wake.

On the receiving end of the biggest impact from the storm was Nokomis Junior/Senior High School. Wind damage from the tornado resulted in several pieces of sheet metal roofing flying around. The metal sheets would later land along Oberle Street and throughout Nokomis Memorial Park.

Due to the sustained damage to the building, Nokomis CUSD #22 would close all campuses on Monday, March 16.

“We have been assessing the damage,” said Dr. Scott Doerr, Nokomis CUSD #22 Superintendent, in a preliminary statement Monday. “At this point, the north side of the new gym roof is gone, which caused other damage to areas of the Nokomis High School roof.”

Dr. Doerr said the district is currently in the process of mitigating the situation, cleaning storm debris, and prepping the roof in the event of other storms coming in.

Winter weather came barging in during the early morning hours on Monday, so far only leaving a dusting of snow.

In the statement, Dr. Doerr stated that the district would close all campuses on Monday.

“We can further assess damage, get more cleaning crews here, and get contractors for estimates on any repairs,” Dr. Doerr noted.

Classes would resume on Tuesday while the district works on getting the repairs accomplished.

Dr. Doerr would also express gratitude to first responders, as well as the Nokomis Fire Protection District, for checking on any and all damage to the building.

Witt sustains storm damage

Witt Mayor Tim Taylor reported damage to roofs and siding, as well as some uprooted trees. A machine shed was leveled to the ground, while several carports sustained heavy damage.

The Witt Lions Club building would also sustain damage to its roof and AC units. This resulted in Montgomery County Clerk and Recorder Sandy Leitheiser making a last-minute polling change for Tuesday’s primary. Polling would move to the Witt Fire Department.

Downed power lines

There were power lines in Nokomis, Witt, and Raymond downed on Sunday due to the high winds and falling branches.

As of publication, Ameren Illinois reports no power outages. Initial reports from the MJF and Shelby electrical cooperatives were still reporting 44 outages as of Monday morning. As of Saturday morning, no outages are being reported as a result of storm damage.

Residents are reminded to notify their power provider if they have lost power due to the electrical service being pulled from their home. You should also notify an electrical contractor and your home insurance, as Ameren will not replace the meter base and conduit to your home. Any other power lines that are down should be reported to your power company. Only contact Montgomery County 9-1-1 if you see the downed line sparking or causing a fire.

Damage assessment efforts from Sunday’s storm are ongoing. Cleanup efforts were still ongoing as of publication.

NWS declares EF1 tornadoes hit the area

According to WLDS, the National Weather Service confirmed that EF1 tornadoes were reported near Nokomis and Pana. These confirmations were on Monday morning. For many, it leaves questions on why sirens didn’t sound in Witt or Nokomis for the tornado warning.

Officials from Nokomis and Witt said that due to the expedited nature of the storm, it didn’t allow for sufficient time to sound the siren.

EF1 tornadoes were also confirmed for Assumption, Lovington, and Tuscola. Less severe EF0 storms were confirmed for Bethany and Arthur.

The Lincoln and St. Louis offices are coordinating to finalize data on the EF1 tornado that went through Montgomery and Christian counties on Sunday.