Storm hits Jackson with rain, strong winds, hail

and Bob Miller ~ Southeast Missourian

Dazed Jackson residents walked down their debris-strewn streets late Tuesday, flashlights their only illumination as they surveyed damage from a tornado that cut a northeasterly path through the city.

It touched down at 8:49 p.m. near Kasten Masonry, hit the police and fire headquarters and headed up South Hope Street, then along Woodland Drive and Ridge Road. Police said the twister was on the ground in the city for about 10 minutes.

Emergency officials were unsure of the amount of damage late Tuesday, but they divided Jackson into four sections and were doing a house-by-house search, complicated by streets blocked by flipped cars and downed trees and power lines. Two hours after the disaster, they only knew of minor injuries.

Power was out to the entire city, and workers tried frantically to cut off the flow of natural gas from broken lines.

The same storm system swept through Bollinger County a half-hour earlier. Two homes near Glenallen were destroyed, one on Route H, about a mile south of Highway 34, and the other on County Road 702, said Jim Bollinger, director of the county's emergency operations office.

Damage was much heavier to the east. Jackson fire chief Brad Golden said he drove to the fire station at South Hope Street and West Jackson Boulevard when tornado warnings started coming across his police radio. The air got quiet and warmer.

"I looked up, and there was a big funnel coming from the southwest," he said. "Then everybody got into the basement. Everything started popping."

He emerged to find water pouring into the station and the hazardous materials trailer and the communications van destroyed. The police and fire departments moved their operations to the Emergency Operations Center in the Cape Girardeau County Administration Building, which was unharmed, a quarter-mile away. Police and fire departments from across Southeast Missouri flocked to the city to help.

Golf-ball-sized hail started pelting the area, along with heavy rain. The rain caused flooding of Hubble Creek at U.S. 61, near the Knights of Columbus hall.

Domino's Pizza employee Rebecca Fox was still wearing her company hat, shivering and waving a flashlight at the intersection of East Main Street and South Hope Street, yards from the restaurant. The smell of natural gas was thick in the air. She said she didn't want drivers to endanger themselves with the natural gas leak and downed power lines on East Main.

A rescue worker stopped to give her a camouflage jacket.

"It was pretty scary," she said, quickly turning back to her traffic duties.

Blocks away, Mary Parden and sons Adam West, 9, and Alex West, 3, walked down Woodland Drive in the pouring rain, Parden holding a single flashlight. They'd escaped their mobile home and hidden in an aunt's closet on Woodland during the tornado, and the worried mother was trying to get away from the natural gas she smelled.

"I heard the tree hit my car," she said. "Oh God. I am just in a state of shock."

Mary Burton, director of the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter, said the organization was providing food and drinks for victims and rescue workers. Tornado victims can call the Red Cross at 335-9471 for help.

Immaculate Conception Parish Hall inJackson has been established as the Red Cross shelter. Fruitland Community Church was offering food to the victims.

Staff writers Mark Bliss, Mike Wells and Heidi Hall contributed to this report.

TORNADO TIMELINE

8:05 p.m.: A tornado touches down near Glenallen, Mo., destroying two homes and downing trees.

8:30 p.m.: Reports come in of golf ball-sized hail in Burfordville.

8:45 p.m.: Jackson loses electric power. A funnel cloud is spotted over the police and fire station. Trees and power lines are knocked down by high winds.

8:49 p.m.: A tornado touches down in Jackson. The roof of the police station is torn off. Jackson 911 emergency service goes offline.

9 p.m.: The tornado withdraws as it passes over Interstate 55 and over Cape Girardeau County Park. Gas leaks are reported in several areas around Jackson. Reports of various injuries filter into the Emergency Operations Center.

9:18 p.m.: Several trees block Interstate 55 at the 99 mile marker. Jackson requests mutual aid for fire, police and public works from Cape Girardeau.

9:30 p.m.: Emergency workers meet at the Jackson fire station for a quick planning meeting.

9:50 p.m.: High winds and heavy rain are reported in Cape Girardeau.

9:58 p.m.: Hail and high winds are reported at Egypt Mills.

10:15 p.m.: Heavy rains cause creeks to overflow and flooding on several Jackson streets.

--From staff reports