NORTH BRANCH, Minn. — Crews surveyed holes in schools, churches and homes and cleared away toppled trees, downed power lines and shattered glass Thursday, the day after tornadoes and severe storms marched through the Midwest.
NORTH BRANCH, Minn. — Crews surveyed holes in schools, churches and homes and cleared away toppled trees, downed power lines and shattered glass Thursday, the day after tornadoes and severe storms marched through the Midwest. While the National Weather Service assessed how many tornadoes touched down from Minnesota to Indiana, insurance adjusters and building inspectors made the rounds, and utilities worked to restore power to tens of thousands of customers. By Thursday afternoon, tornadoes were confirmed in Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. More assessments were under way in those states as well as Indiana and Wisconsin. Dozens of people were injured across the region, but no deaths were reported. The storm damage at the North Branch Middle School caused officials to call off the final day of summer school and ponder how they’d handle the start of regular classes about two weeks from now. A suspected tornado dented the roof — causing ceiling tiles, supports, pipes and some cinder blocks to give way and leaving pooled water inside. "We’re doing everything in our power to make sure school starts on time," said Patrick Tepoorten, spokesman for the district 40 miles north of St. Paul. Patti Blegen said her 12-year-old daughter and her friends have been eagerly anticipating the start of seventh grade at the middle school. Now mother and daughter are waiting to hear how it will play out. "They’re really looking forward to starting," Blegen said. "Even though kids say they don’t want to go back, they do have enough of summer. When summer’s done, they’re done." In northwestern Indiana, a school gymnasium in Chesterton was left open to the sky after high winds tore apart its roof. Nearby apartments and homes suffered similar damage Wednesday night. Duneland schools Superintendent Dirk Baer said a glass atrium at Chesterton Middle School also was damaged and a few classrooms had minor water damage. In the tiny central Illinois village of Williamsville, residents were saddened by the near-total destruction of a picture-book, brown-brick church constructed in the early half of last century. A tornado there left only the steeple of the Williamsville Christian Church standing. "That church has been a cornerstone of the community," lamented Tom Yokley, board president in Williamsville, a community of about 1,500 roughly 10 miles northeast of Springfield. "It’s gone. It’s destroyed." One of 12 people injured in that area was in a car flipped by a powerful wind, and another person was blown off his motorcycle, St. John’s Hospital nursing coordinator Roscoe Cook said. "Tornados, 70 mile-an-hour winds, lightening, tree limbs flying all over the place — it was one heck of a storm," said Leigh Morris, a spokesman for the Ameren utility that provides electricity to central Illinois. Reports indicated minimal damage elsewhere. A barn near Fredericksberg, Iowa, was destroyed. Uprooted trees and fallen power lines were the main problem in western Wisconsin. Residential damage was the primary concern in Minneapolis, the most densely populated of the storm-struck areas. A tornado tore off part of a 90-year-old metal church steeple and left a hole in the roof of the city Convention Center, where the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was holding its national convention. Back in North Branch, the middle school was deemed off-limits to the public. Outside, two sets of metal bleachers had collapsed and a few snapped-off pine trees lay near the playground. Tepoorten said all or part of the middle school might stay closed for repairs after classes start on Sept. 8. State Rep. Jeremy Kalin said he got a quick look at the damage after Wednesday’s storm. "Our hope is that we can, worst case, close off that wing and be able to use the rest of the building," he said. Associated Press writers Michael Tarm in Chicago, Chris Williams in Minneapolis and Robert Imrie in Wausau, Wis., contributed to this report. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
