Storm leaves wide path of damage, outages in Jackson, Cape, Scott City

A fast-moving storm roared through the Jackson and Cape Girardeau area Friday afternoon, downing trees and power lines, and damaging roofs.

Lightning struck Cornerstone Wesleyan Church in Scott City, setting the building ablaze.

More than 5,500 customers in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City were without power early Friday evening, according to information from Ameren Missouri and the City of Jackson, which operates its own electric system.

Ameren’s website showed more than 3,100 customers in Cape Girardeau without power as of Friday night. More than 2,400 Scott City customers were without power.

The storm hit Jackson around 4:20 p.m.

Winds were clocked at 60 to 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.

The storm damaged numerous trees and power lines, police and emergency officials reported.

Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management director Mark Winkler said the roof was blown off the American Legion hall in Jackson and damage was reported at Jackson City Park. The roof of Jackson’s armory was also damaged. A fireworks tent was wrapped around a billboard. A brick wall of an apartment building collapsed onto a parked car. Tree limbs were snapped and rooftops damaged all across the city.

Trees were reported down at Cape County Park.

County Clerk Kara Clark Summers said the Cape Girardeau County Administration Building lost power and had to rely on an emergency generator for power. County employees went to the lower level to shelter from the storm.

The administration building appeared to suffer some roof damage, she said.

“I have never seen winds like that,” Summers said. “It got really dark all of a sudden. Then the power went out.”

Summers said she heard “trees are down everywhere” in Jackson.

The Jackson Police Department was operating on generator power as of 6 p.m. Friday. Jackson police captain Scott Eakers said, “It is all hands on deck.”

Damage was reported to gas and power lines. The storm ripped roofs off buildings, Eakers said.

Despite the damage, Eakers said there were no reports of injuries in Jackson.

In Cape Girardeau, power lines were reported down on Southern Expressway, and at Hanover and William streets. Large limbs were reported down on Cape Rock Drive at Dennis Scivally Park, Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann said.

The storm downed trees throughout the city.

Downed trees blocked the entrances to Benton Hill and East Lake subdivisions, Hann said.

One injury was reported in Cape Girardeau from the storm, he said. A pedestrian suffered a minor cut on his head when he was struck by debris on Kingshighway near Bloomfield Road, Hann said.

Public works crews were out clearing up debris and opening roadways, he said.

Ameren crews were working to restore power, utility spokesman Brad Brown said.

Business editor Jay Wolz, photographer Tyler Graef and staffer Renda Eggimann contributed to this story.

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