Saturday storms cause power outage, building damage

In the early morning hours Saturday, heavy storms passed through the Jackson and Cape Girardeau area bringing strong winds and causing damage to several area businesses.

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, found damage from an EF2 tornado during a preliminary survey of the area, but could not provide a confirmation as of Monday afternoon, according to NWS.

Crader Tire & Retread Service of Jackson, near Exit 99 on Interstate 55, experienced heavy roof damage as the result of the storms. Jackson fire chief Jason Mouser said the storm damaged about 30% of the building, sending debris from the structure’s roof onto the interstate near mile marker 99. A construction trailer parked at the business rolled several times onto the interstate, Mouser said, causing a section of I-55 to be shut down briefly.

Mouser said Jackson storm damage was mostly limited to a commercial area near I-55 Exit 99. Four buildings and a camper trailer were affected, with one building being a total loss, he said.

Jackson residents also experienced power outages about 1:45 a.m. Saturday that lasted one to two hours after damage to an electric transmission line on East Jackson Boulevard.

Ameren Missouri spokeswoman Jenny Barth said about 500 Ameren customers in Southeast Missouri had a power outage Saturday, with customers’ power being restored by 1 p.m. that day. A small number of Ameren customers were also affected by damage to a power pole shared with the City of Jackson, she said.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department also reported one watercraft rescue around 9 a.m. Saturday.

NWS reported at least two other confirmed tornadoes Saturday in Christian County, Kentucky, in addition to several other severe storms in the area.