SOUTHERN ILLINOIS – The National Weather Service in Paducah says the severe weather we experienced over the weekend caused some tornadoes to hit our area.
An EF-2 tornado was reported in Jackson and Perry County around 12:10 Saturday morning.
It began near Zoller Road in Jackson County just south of the Perry County line. Moving northeast, the tornado crossed into Perry County, where about 50 homes in the county suffered damage, and five were left uninhabitable, mostly in the St. John community.
In the industrial park on the west side of Du Quoin, one metal building machine shop was completely collapsed. Numerous wooden power poles were broken along the path, including a few high capacity electrical poles northeast of St. John on Kimmel Road. Reaching Highway 154 northeast of Du Quoin, the tornado blew out the windows of the historic Paradise Church and toppled numerous gravestones in the adjacent cemetery. After snapping a few tree trunks behind the church, the tornado dissipated. Hundreds of trees along the path were snapped, uprooted, or suffered the loss of large limbs.
Another EF-2 tornado was reported between 1:15 and 1:31 a.m. in Johnson County.
It began west of Vienna along Old Cypress Road. Traveling northeast, it damaged roofs of homes and uprooted trees as it crossed both Highway 146 and Old Highway 146 Loop.
Along Dutchman Farms Road, several homes sustained roof, gutter, and fascia damage. Additionally, outbuildings were heavily damaged, and trees were snapped and uprooted. After crossing U.S. 45 and I-24, a few manufactured homes were nearly completely destroyed and wooden power poles were broken on Canada Lane. As it continued northeast, the tornado crossed U.S. 45 a second time near Shelby Road and Dixon Lane, where additional homes suffered roof, gutter, and fascia damage. As it continued northeast, the tornado crossed Gilead Church Road and Ozark Road east of the Ozark community, where the great majority of damage was to trees. Weakening, the tornado lifted at Belville Road just before the Johnson-Pope County line.
According to the weather service, there were no reports of injuries or deaths in Johnson County, Jackson County or Perry County.
