By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

WILLIAMSVILLE, Ill. — Summer was at its apex for heat, humidity and storms. On Aug. 19, the sky darkened, the winds picked up and many took cover as, according to the National Weather Service (NWS), six tornadoes hit central Illinois.

The hardest hit areas were north and west of Springfield. Two tornadoes – the ones that hit in Loami and Williamsville – packed the most devastation of the six. The NWS stated: “The tornado started out around 200 yards wide, and peaked around a quarter-mile wide in rural portions of eastern Morgan and western Sangamon Counties.

“It was about 200 yards wide as it passed through Loami, where nine homes were destroyed and 15 others severely damaged. Along the remainder of the path, the tornado produced damage to several homes, machine sheds and major tree and crop damage.”

The NOA added that the tornado touched down on the west side of Williamsville, just west of Interstate 55, at 3:19 p.m. It destroyed an antique mall, damaged the Casey’s and collapsed the canopy over the gas pumps. One person was injured at the mall, and two motorcyclists were injured when they were thrown from their bikes.
The tornado moved northeast through Williamsville and hit a church, throwing a two-horse trailer onto the roof and collapsing the roof over half of the building. One person inside the church was injured. The tornado continued through the northern portion of town, doing damage to trees and some houses.

Two homes lost roofs and several others lost portions of their roofs. The tornado also caved in the southern end of a metal building, part of an agricultural business on the edge of town. The width of the tornado through town ranged from 100-150 yards. The maximum wind speed of 135 mph (EF2) in Williamsville was determined from the damage to the church.

This storm continued to track east-northwest with winds whipping up to 140 miles per hour and at one point measuring a half a mile in width. The tornado continued to destroy homes, outbuildings and crops in its path.

Elizabeth Arnolts, a teacher for the Pleasant Plains School District, was home with her six-month-old, Madison, when the storm hit Williamsville. She said the storm was traumatic and described how she and her baby took cover.

“Madison and I were by ourselves when the sirens went off so I took her into the bathroom,” she said. “Then the power went off, so I went to get a flashlight and candles. When I was getting those, I saw that it was raining very heavily and the wind had blown our patio table over, so I quickly got back in the bathroom.

“About 10 minutes later I used my cell phone to call my mom to see if she had heard anything because I wasn’t sure if it had passed Williamsville yet or not, and that is when she told me that Casey’s had gotten hit, but she didn’t know anything else at the time.”

After the storm passed, her husband, Tom, arrived home from his job in Bloomington, Ill. But it was not an easy trek. “It took Tom an hour just to find a way to get home because all the ways into town were blocked off, and he eventually just had to park his car and walk home,” Arnolts said.

“It was when we walked around town a bit and saw all the damage that it hit me how fortunate we were to have survived the storm without any damage to our house, being as close to Casey’s as we are.

“Also, when we walked around town, we saw how the people of Williamsville were coming together to help clean up and help out their neighbors and that was touching. When something like this happens to your town, it makes you realize the meaning of the word ‘community,’” she added.

Sunday following the storm, many were trying to ease the burden for the towns of Loami and Williamsville. Bob Evans located at Veteran’s Parkway in Springfield was one of the businesses offering helping hands. It fed 50 people from Loami and 100 from Williamsville and part of the proceeds from sales that Sunday went toward helping the communities rebuild.

Manager Craig Siegel said, “The staff got behind this and decided to do something. We are proud to be a part of it.”

Besides the tornadoes, high winds caused crop damage and danger for those in southern Sangamon County. Marla Bourne took cover in her basement when the winds blew over the maple tree in front of her rural Pawnee home. Corn was flattened and telephone poles were bent at a 45-degree angle.

It won’t be until farmers get in the fields this fall before the true nature of crop damage can be judged. Arnolts said, “It reminds you to say your prayers and thank the good Lord for keeping you and your family safe from harm.”