WALNUT GROVE, Ill. — On Wednesday, several powerful storms moved through the region, impacting communities in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois.
Community members of the small community of Walnut Grove in Illinois came out in full force to help neighbors who’s homes were damaged by the severe weather outbreak on Wednesday. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
One of the communities near Harrisburg, Illinois, was impacted by a storm that produced a tornado warning.
Trees were down in nearly every yard in the small community of Walnut Grove, Illinois. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
Some residents only suffered damage to the trees in their yard, while other’s homes were lifted off its foundation.
Clark Horton lives in a modular home with several large trees in his yard.
Clark Horton, left, and his son Aaron Horton, right, pose for a portrait in front of a large tree that was uprooted during Wednesday’s sever weather outbreak. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
His home was lifted off the blocks and his truck, which he drove to a neighbor’s house ended up with a tree on it.
The Horton home in Walnut Grove, Illinois, sustained serious damage, as well as his truck, which a tree fell on top of. The home appears to have been lifted off the foundation, and no moves when people walk through the property. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
“My truck is setting on the next road over with a tree on it, it’s just smashed,” Horton said. “The house, it lifted it off the foundation. The house next door it took all the trusses off of it. It’s just a mess.”
Limbs from a small tree was uprooted at the Horton household lay on the ground in Walnut Grove, Illinois. Their home also sustained serious damage, as well as his truck, which a tree fell on top of. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
Two trees in his front yard were uprooted, and his house is filled with water and is unstable.
A small tree was uprooted at the Horton household in Walnut Grove, Illinois. Their home also sustained serious damage, as well as his truck, which a tree fell on top of. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
“Probably going to get a motel tonight,” Horton said. “If you go inside the house, I haven’t been inside yet, but you can feel it [moving…] they said there’s leaves inside the house.”
The Horton family looks at the modular home that was lifted off the foundation during Wednesday’s sever weather outbreak. In addition the family’s trees in the front yard were uprooted. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
Riley King was home with his sister, aunt, and uncle when the storm passed by.
“We were looking out the back window, and we saw leaves get sucked up,” King said. “They went left, then they went right. And then all of the tree limbs started falling down. ”
Riley King was at home with family when the storm passed over his house. He said they are lucky and that it was great to see the community come together when it was over. Photo taken May 8, 2024.
He said his uncle witnessed a tree nearly hit the house.
“He saw a tree in our backyard, it was right by our house,” King said. “And it fell towards our house and then it twisted and got sucked back in. It missed our house.”
That was their cue to go down to the basement.
The power flickered on and off before they emerged from the basement, and they couldn’t see anything.
They feel lucky things weren’t worse and are glad to see the community come together the way it did.
“I was glad to see everybody coming together and picking everything up,” King said. “It’s just good to see everybody come together. I think it definitely was a tornado that started at the back of my house.”
Walnut Grove was not the only community to face damage caused by the weather.
Around 20 miles away in Eldorado, Illinois, Ferrell Hospital dealt with serious flooding.
Tony Keen, the CEO of Ferrell Hospital, said they experienced significant flooding.
“We had a high volume of rain come down in a short period of time,” Keen said. “It overwhelmed the draining systems here in the area, which created a flooding situation inside the hospital.”
The hospital typically has around 17 patients, but on Wednesday there were only six, which had to be evacuated.
“We estimate about 70,000 square feet of flooring was impacted by the flooding,” Keen said. “It was a significant event, not only in our emergency department, but in our lobby, our patient registration area, and our clinic space.”
The hospital encourages people having a medial emergency to call 9-1-1.
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